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Pedro Allende Named DHS Under Secretary for Science & Technology
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DHS' Pedro Allende. DHS has appointed Pedro Allende as under secretary for science and technology.

The Senate voted 53-43 to confirm Pedro Allende as under secretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security.

What Is Pedro Allende’s Role as DHS Under Secretary?

In this capacity, Allende spearheads DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate, managing a diverse team responsible for advancing science and technology capabilities that support the department’s missions, DHS said Tuesday. He also acts as the secretary’s science adviser and directs the department’s main research and development organization.

Who Is Pedro Allende?

The new DHS under secretary most recently served as secretary of the Florida Department of Management Services, where he oversaw statewide procurement, telecommunications, fiber infrastructure and facilities management. He also led the Florida Digital Service and supervised the state’s chief information security officer, chief information officer and chief data officer.

During his initial tenure at DHS, Allende served as deputy assistant secretary for infrastructure, risk and resilience policy. He also held roles at the Department of Energy and the Department of Labor after working in private practice at an international law firm.

What Is the Role of the S&T Directorate?

The Science and Technology Directorate supports frontline operators and DHS components by delivering mission-focused technologies to address evolving threats, strengthen border security, safeguard critical infrastructure and reinforce emergency response capabilities.

The directorate is advancing new priorities, including establishing two program executive offices focused on strengthening airspace security and emergency response power capabilities. It is also preparing to support major national events such as the FIFA World Cup and the America250 celebrations. 

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5 Ways the Pentagon Is Upping Its Drone Game
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Soldier and drone. The DOW wants breakthrough UAS and counter-UAS capabilities and it wants them now.
  • The Department of War wants to acquire advanced UAS and C-UAS technologies from small, innovative firms as quickly as possible
  • The department has embarked on a number of initiatives including lucrative prize competitions and innovative procurements to progress these technologies
  • Get the latest UAS business opportunities from top DOW officials like DIU Acting Director Emil Michael at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29!

The Department of War wants breakthrough unmanned aircraft system technologies from small, innovative firms and it wants them now. To rapidly procure these capabilities, the department has embarked on a number of initiatives, including lucrative prize competitions, rapid acquisition programs and advanced domestic and international demonstrations.

The DOW doesn’t want just drone capability, it also wants to buy the world’s most advanced counter UAS technologies. The DOW and other federal agencies came together in November to kickoff a three-year initiative to acquire counter small UAS, or C-sUAS, capabilities. The DOW recorded about 3,000 drone incursions at the southern border in the past year and wants to prepare for major domestic events like the 2026 World Cup being jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Let’s explore the DOW’s latest drone and C-UAS developments.

Discover the latest business opportunities and requirements in UAS and C-UAS technology at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29! Hear directly from top DOW officials including Emil Michael, DIU acting director and under secretary for research and engineering, and Dr. Thomas Rondeau, principal director for FutureG. Tickets are running out—secure your seat today!

What Are Some Recent Pentagon UAS Developments?

1. Prize Competition for Voice-Controlled Drones

Three DOW units are teaming to hold a prize competition with up to $100 million in multiple awards to pursue an operationally-viable Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator. This is technology that can leverage a person’s intent from text, voice and haptic input into machine execution.

The Defense Innovation Unit, the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group and the Navy seek to prototype market-ready offerings to create a scalable, robust and vehicle-agnostic device. The competition will include challenges such as iterative sprints and tackling increasingly complex portions of a problem.

The DOW seeks orchestrator technologies that allow people to work naturally and through plain language, not by clicking through menus or programming behaviors.

“If a company can deliver, they will receive substantial rewards. If they can’t, we will move on,”  said Emil Michael, DIU acting director, under secretary of War for research and engineering and a keynote speaker at the upcoming 2026 Defense R&D Summit. “The ones who show they can perform will move immediately into follow‑on contracts so we can field these capabilities at scale for our fighting force.”

Responses are due Sunday, Jan. 25.

2. Counter-UAS Using Drones Deploying Nets

Fortem Technologies has developed a unique counter-drone solution leveraging a tried-and-true approach with advanced technology. The DOW on Jan. 13 announced it awarded the company a contract for two DroneHunter F700 systems that use AI-enabled drones to deploy nets and defeat enemy UAS.

5 Ways the Pentagon Is Upping Its Drone Game
Artist’s illustration of how Fortem Technologies’ DroneHunter uses AI and nets to defeat enemy drones. Photo: Fortem Technologies.

The DroneHunter is a reusable application that uses radar and AI to identify and follow small drones in low-altitude and complex environments. Once the system spots a threat, the DroneHunter deploys a tethered net to capture the adversary aircraft, which is brought to a designated location for a thorough analysis.

This contract award is part of the DOW’s Replicator initiative, a program to speed up delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to operators at scale and speed. Though Replicator 1, the opening phase, had an intent of utilizing thousands of autonomous systems in various domains, this contract award was part of Replicator 2, which is specifically focused on countering small drones.

The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29 is the marquee event of the year for GovCon technology professionals. Engage with leading federal officials and top industry experts at panel discussions on essential topics like Securing the Future of Defense Innovation. Spark collaborations with other GovCon titans and score that big contract. Buy your ticket now!

3. Navy AI C-UAS Effort

The Navy is pursuing its own effort to leverage AI to counter small drones. The service in September tested at sea a system that used AI to combine the capabilities from multiple independent sensors to identify small UAS.

5 Ways the Pentagon Is Upping Its Drone Game
A team from the U.S. Naval Postgrad School in Sept. 2025 deployed a newly designed system for C-UAS aboard a Dutch SOF craft during the Bold Machina exercise in the Netherlands. Photo: NATO.

When fully operational, the system should provide special forces in a maritime environment valuable defenses against distant drones without compromising their position. The trial took place as part of the Bold Machina exercise in the Netherlands. Quickly developed by a team of scholar-officers from the Naval Postgraduate School, the C-UAS system was used aboard a Dutch Navy fast raiding, interception and special forces craft, or FRISC.

Special forces craft such as FRISCs and other rigid-hull inflatable boats are vulnerable to drone attacks on open water because they lack cover. NATO required a pair of NPS scholar-operators to create a system that was passive enough to allow users on a small craft to not give off detectable emissions or signatures.

4. First Kinetic Drone Swarm on U.S. Soil

The Pentagon on Jan. 8 achieved a notable milestone when it performed the first kinetic UAS swarm on U.S. land, according to DefenseScoop.

5 Ways the Pentagon Is Upping Its Drone Game
The Pentagon in Jan. 2026 performed the first kinetic strke using AI-powered UAS on U.S. soil. Photo: DOW.

The demonstration was notable because it was part of the DOW’s initiative to experiment with unmanned systems that communicate using a common operating network. Troops deployed four first-person-view UAS, many leveraging plastic explosives, into the air and toward inflatable tanks. One UAS acted as a “leader,” guiding the other three platforms toward the targets, which were destroyed.

The demonstration was part of the DOW effort Swarm Forge, which has a goal of testing and growing fighting capabilities with, and against, AI-enabled systems. UAS swarms have been a DOW priority for years and the Marine Corps recently created a FPV drone squad. This has served as a repository for training, doctrine and experimentation.

5. DIU C-sUAS Low-Cost Sensing Challenge Winner

The DIU in December announced MatrixSpace as the overall winner of the Counter-small UAS Low-Cost Sensing challenge. MatrixSpace won $500,000 while Guardian RF, Hidden Level and Teledyne FLIR Defense earned $100,000 awards.

The LCS challenge, which began in May, was created to identify nascent technologies that permitted distributed, broad and resilient sensing architectures. During U.S. Northern Command’s Falcon Peak 25.2 exercise in September, 10 selected finalists demonstrated capabilities ranging from radio frequency passive detection, acoustic sensing, optical and infrared modalities and hybrid systems.

The challenge had a goal of identifying promising sensor technologies that could expand detection coverage, easily integrate into joint command-and-control architectures, slash lifecycle cost and provide the redundancy required to successfully counter small drone threats.

The LCS challenge was a joint effort between the DIU, NORTHCOM, Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

5 Ways the Pentagon Is Upping Its Drone Game
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Michael Lynch Named GSA Deputy Administrator
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Michael Lynch. The former CEO of Zedsen has been named GSA's deputy administrator.

The General Services Administration has appointed Michael Lynch, a seasoned business leader, as deputy administrator.

In this capacity, Lynch will help implement GSA programs and advance the agency’s mission of providing innovative services to federal agencies, the agency said Tuesday.

What Are GSA Administrator Edward Forst’s Thoughts on Michael Lynch’s Appointment?

GSA Administrator Edward Forst praised Lynch’s leadership and impact since joining the agency.

“Since joining GSA, Mike has demonstrated exceptional business acumen, strong leadership, and a clear track record of results,” said Forst. “In addition to serving as the agency’s chief operating officer, Mike will lead the development and execution of GSA’s performance culture, oversee the delivery of our automation initiatives, and champion the agencywide artificial intelligence strategy.”

Forst, who took the helm of GSA in December following his Senate confirmation, added that Lynch is a trusted member of the leadership team and a key partner in advancing the agency’s mission.

Who Is Michael Lynch?

Lynch is a seasoned executive with extensive leadership experience spanning both the public and private sectors.

In January 2025, he joined GSA as a senior adviser in the Office of the Administrator. He was previously delegated the responsibilities of deputy administrator from March 2025 to July 2025.

He previously served as CEO of Zedsen, a U.K.-based medical technology company focused on using artificial intelligence for early-stage cancer detection. He also held senior executive positions at several tech companies, including Eli Lilly and SpaceX.

The Wabash College political science graduate holds graduate degrees from Indiana University and the London School of Economics.

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NASA Selects Three New Science Payloads for Future Lunar Missions
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NASA DAA Joel Kearns. NASA has selected three new science payloads to be delivered to the moon on future lunar missions.

NASA has selected three new lunar science investigations to be delivered to the Moon under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative and Artemis campaign. The research payloads will be delivered to the lunar surface by U.S. commercial partners no earlier than 2028, NASA said Tuesday.

NASA Selects Three New Science Payloads for Future Lunar Missions

Save your seat and join senior U.S. Air Force and Space Force leaders at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit in July for insights on advanced technologies and strategies shaping the future of air and space.

What Are NASA’s New Science Investigations?

NASA’s newly selected instruments, chosen through the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon, or PRISM, call for proposals, include:

Emission Imager for Lunar Infrared Analysis in 3D, or EMILIA-3D

EMILIA-3D will create 3D thermal maps of the lunar surface using a thermal imager and visible-light imaging. The data will help enhance navigation and understanding of how temperature relates to lunar soil properties.

Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration With Rapidity, or LISTER

LISTER will drill below the Moon’s surface to measure heat flow, temperature changes and thermal conductivity. These measurements will provide insight into the Moon’s internal heat and thermal history.

Site-agnostic Energetic Lunar Ion & Neutron Environment, or SELINE

SELINE will analyze the Moon’s radiation environment by measuring cosmic rays and their interactions with lunar soil or regolith. The results will support space weather research and help enhance safety planning for human exploration.

What Is NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative?

NASA’s CLPS program supports rapid and repeated lunar surface access while promoting the development of a sustainable commercial lunar landing marketplace. In 2025, the program delivered the Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector and the radiation-tolerant RadPC computer. The agency also issued a request for information in January for the CLPS 2.0 contract, a follow-on to NASA’s existing agreements.

“With CLPS, NASA has been taking a new approach to lunar science, relying on U.S. industry innovation to travel to the surface of the Moon and enable scientific discovery,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration of the science mission directorate at NASA. “These selections continue this pipeline of lunar exploration, through research that will not only expand our knowledge about the Moon’s history and environment, but also inform future human safety and navigation on the Moon and beyond.”

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Trump Selects Marine Corps Leader James Adams III to Lead Defense Intelligence Agency
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Lt. Gen. James Adams III, programs and resources deputy commandant of the Marine Corps. Adams was nominated as DIA director

President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. James Adams III, deputy commandant for programs and resources at the U.S. Marine Corps, as the next director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. 

The Department of War confirmed the nominations in a press release Tuesday, adding that Adams is also up for reappointment to the grade of lieutenant general. 

What Are the Responsibilities of a DIA Director?

If confirmed, Adams will command the agency, which provides military intelligence to policymakers and the Department of War, and its 16,500-person workforce. He will also serve as principal adviser to the secretary of war and to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chairperson of the Military Intelligence Board. 

The DIA has been without a permanent director since August, when the Trump administration ousted Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse. Maj. Gen. Constantin E. Nicolet currently sits as the acting DIA director. 

Who Is James Adams III?

Adams was nominated as programs and resources deputy commandant in 2023. In the role, he oversaw all financial matters and principal spokesperson on program and budget for the Commandant of the Marine Corps. 

Before the Marine Corps, he held the role of deputy director of requirements and capability development for the Joint Staff. 

Adams graduated from the Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1991 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the same year. He was designated as a naval aviator in 1993 and clocked in over 3,300 flight hours, including more than 300 for combat, on the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter, according to his Marines.mil bio.

As a lieutenant colonel, he was assigned as commander of the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367. As a colonel, he commanded the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One as colonel. 

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Coast Guard Seeks to Accelerate Innovation Through CG-RAPTOR
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U.S. Coast Guard logo. USCG unveiled CG-RAPTOR to accelerate the development of new technologies to meet urgent requirements.

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched the Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping, or CG-RAPTOR, to help identify and accelerate the development of new technologies to meet urgent operational requirements.

USCG said Friday CG-RAPTOR is a key component of the Force Design 2028 initiative, enabling the service to experiment with applications and business processes before making enterprise investments.

“With Force Design 2028, we are completely changing the game on how the Coast Guard delivers our mission through operational agility, integration and automation,” said Capt. Chad Brick, the inaugural chief of CG-RAPTOR. 

“CG-RAPTOR feeds on this transformative approach, rapidly driving cutting-edge technology directly into the hands of our operators for a more effective workforce and to protect our nation’s maritime interests,” Brick added.

What Is CG-RAPTOR? 

CG-RAPTOR is the Coast Guard’s rapid-response innovation engine designed to identify, prototype and rapidly field breakthrough technologies to address operational gaps.

The office aims to accelerate the “idea-to-operations” cycle by promoting close collaboration among operators, industry leaders and subject matter experts to facilitate the delivery of new technologies every 30 days. To drive informed requirements and decisive action, CG-RAPTOR has been conceived to leverage real-time feedback, eliminate information silos and fosters a risk-tolerant culture.

In 150 days, CG-RAPTOR has introduced advanced unmanned systems, secure communications platforms, real-time readiness tracking capabilities and personnel management tools. 

According to USCG, the office was scheduled Friday to host a demonstration in San Diego for Coast Guard personnel, showcasing cutting-edge sensor data and video feed integration designed to provide a unified operational picture and enhance tactical situational awareness.

What Is Force Design 2028?

Launched in April 2025, Force Design 2028 is the Coast Guard’s roadmap for ensuring readiness to meet future national requirements. Through the initiative, the service aims to promote a culture of innovation to protect the homeland, deliver peace through strength and counter adversaries.

The initiative focuses on four campaigns: people; organization; acquisition and contracting; and technology. Efforts under the acquisition and contracting campaign include eliminating bureaucratic delays, increasing the service’s engagement with the Defense Innovation Unit and developing a contract-tracking system to improve transparency and accountability.

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Johns Hopkins APL Providing Expertise to Advance Navy’s Next Generation Jammer
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Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory logo. APL worked with the Navy to support the development of a new EW capability

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is working with the U.S. Navy to develop the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band, or NGJ-MB, an electronic warfare system capable of disrupting, denying and degrading enemy air defense, communications and early warning technology. 

APL said Tuesday that its scientists and engineers provide the Navy with advice and expertise to mature a solid-state amplifier and phased array antennas for the NGJ-MB. 

The Maryland-based not-for-profit university-affiliated research center has been involved in the Navy’s NGJ-MB program since its initial concept development in 2001. 

Johns Hopkins APL Providing Expertise to Advance Navy’s Next Generation Jammer

Engage with defense and industry leaders and forge partnerships that advance warfighter capabilities at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Navy Summit on Aug. 27. Sign up today to secure your spot. 

What Is the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band?

NGJ-MB replaces the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, also known as TJS, the external carriage airborne electronic attack platform installed on the EA-18G Growler. TJS first reached initial operational capability in 1971 and flew on the Growler’s predecessor, the EA-6B Prowler. 

According to Brian Geesaman, mission area executive for Precision Strike at APL, NGJ-MB offers enhanced jamming at greater distances. 

“Advanced technologies like the NGJ give the U.S. a critical edge over its adversaries,” he added. 

What Other Navy Programs Does APL Support?

Beyond electronic warfare, Johns Hopkins APL supports several Navy efforts. The laboratory teamed up with the Navy in 2024 to validate the Autonomy Baseline Library, software designed to rapidly analyze uncrewed surface vehicle operating systems and determine suitability for specific mission needs. 

APL also partnered with the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Naval Surface Force Atlantic to equip the USS Bataan with a hybrid metal 3D printer. The system enables onboard production of stainless steel parts, supporting expeditionary maintenance.

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VA Seeks Industry Input on Enterprise ERP Modernization
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VA logo. VA issued an RFI seeking industry input on ERP platform modernization.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has released a request for information to gather industry feedback as it plans a potential overhaul of its enterprise resource planning environment, signaling early steps toward a large-scale modernization of administrative, IT and service management systems.

Responses to the RFI, which the VA posted on SAM.gov on Friday, will be used to inform future acquisition decisions related to a departmentwide ERP capability supporting more than 600,000 users. 

VA Seeks Industry Input on Enterprise ERP Modernization

VA’s ERP planning comes as federal health agencies intensify broader healthcare IT modernization efforts across government. Leaders from the Veterans Health Administration, Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization office and Defense Health Agency are set to discuss enterprise modernization, data strategy and next-generation health IT at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Healthcare Summit on Feb. 12, 2026. Register now!

What Is the Purpose of the VA’s ERP RFI?

VA is seeking detailed information from vendors capable of delivering a scalable, secure and integrated ERP platform to replace or transition from its current ServiceNow environment.

According to the notice, the RFI is intended to assess market capabilities, identify technical approaches and evaluate how industry offerings could meet VA’s operational, security and compliance requirements.

What ERP Platform Capabilities Is the VA Evaluating?

The VA expects ERP platforms to address enterprise service management, asset and inventory tracking, workflow automation, and real-time reporting.

It is interested in products that can support large-scale workloads, extensive data tables and mission-critical processing while maintaining high availability, disaster recovery and performance optimization across enterprise environments.

A central focus of the RFI is the VA’s intent to understand how vendors would integrate a new ERP platform with existing federal systems through secure application programming interfaces and pre-built connectors. The agency specifically asked vendors to detail experience integrating with tools such as Power BI, Jira, Splunk, Nuvolo and electronic health record systems.

Vendors are also requested to describe how they would migrate VA data from ServiceNow while preserving data integrity, security and role-based access controls, including protections for sensitive health and personally identifiable information.

What Role Do AI, Analytics and Automation Play in the VA ERP Effort?

The VA is seeking insight into how artificial intelligence could enhance ERP operations, including the use of generative and agentic AI for ticket triage, predictive analytics, virtual agents and real-time assistance.

The agency also requested details on reporting and analytics capabilities, such as customizable dashboards, key performance indicator tracking, real-time updates and predictive insights accessible to non-technical users.

What Compliance and Security Standards Apply?

Responses must address compliance with federal security and accessibility requirements, including Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program High certification, Federal Information Security Management Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and Section 508 standards.

Responses to the RFI are due by Tuesday and are limited to 12 pages with no marketing materials permitted.

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DIU, DAWG & Navy Launch $100M Prize Challenge for Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator
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DIU Acting Director Emil Michael. DIU, DAWG and the U.S. Navy launched the Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator prize challenge.

The Defense Innovation Unit has collaborated with the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, or DAWG, and the U.S. Navy to launch a prize challenge offering up to $100 million to develop an Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator prototype.

DIU, DAWG & Navy Launch $100M Prize Challenge for Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator

DIU Acting Director and Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael is one of the speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29. He joins other top defense and GovCon industry leaders who will discuss the technologies and strategies driving the future of warfare and U.S. national security. Register now!

The orchestrator is intended to enable commanders to task and coordinate large numbers of autonomous systems across domains by translating human intent into machine execution, DIU said in a press release published Jan. 13.

“This solicitation’s approach is the new standard—we’re moving fast to deliver tangible capabilities to the warfighter. Selected performers will be shoulder‑to‑shoulder with operators, and they will be proving that their capability works in an operational environment,” said Hon. Emil Michael, acting director of DIU and under secretary of war for research and engineering.

What Is the Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator For?

The Autonomous Vehicle Orchestrator is intended to enable effective command and control of autonomous systems as they are increasingly deployed across multiple domains. As these systems grow in number and variety, a scalable, vehicle-agnostic orchestration layer is needed to manage fleet-level operations. The orchestrator would serve as a human-machine interface that converts commander intent received through voice, text or haptic input into coordinated actions while preserving human oversight.

“The Department’s fleet of autonomous vehicles is the future of warfighting – but they are nothing without the intelligence and experience of the operator,” said Michael Dodd, acting deputy director of DIU and assistant secretary of war for critical technologies.

“This Prize Challenge will deliver a human-machine interaction layer that will directly impact the lethality and effectiveness of these systems,” Dodd continued.

What Are the Prize Challenge Details?

The prize challenge is organized into a series of iterative sprints that tackle increasingly complex elements of the problem. Vendors are evaluated for selection before the initial sprint, and only those who complete a sprint may advance to the next phase, while unsuccessful participants are eliminated from further consideration. The challenge will remain open through Jan. 25, during which multiple awards totaling up to $100 million are expected to be issued.

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Adm. Kevin Lunday Takes Helm of US Coast Guard
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Adm. Kevin Lunday. The admiral assumed command of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Adm. Kevin Lunday officially took command of the U.S. Coast Guard during a swearing-in and assumption of command ceremony on Thursday at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a previous Wash100 awardee, joined senior leaders of USCG and Joint Force members during the transition of command, USCG said Thursday.

What Are DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Thoughts on Adm. Kevin Lunday?

Noem said President Trump wanted to revitalize the Coast Guard, equip it with the best available technology, ships and aircraft, and recruit the men and women necessary to carry out the mission. 

“With almost 40 years in the Coast Guard, and with command experience that has ranged from the Indo-Pacific to the Persian Gulf to cyberspace, Kevin Lunday was the man for the job,” the DHS secretary added.

In October, the president nominated Lunday for the position.

Who Is Adm. Kevin Lunday?

As the U.S. Coast Guard’s 28th commandant, he will lead the service’s transformation efforts through Force Design 2028 and strengthen operational readiness.

In this capacity, Lunday will oversee operations to secure, control and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches; respond to crises and contingencies; and facilitate the flow of commerce that is key to U.S. maritime dominance, economic prosperity and strategic mobility.

He previously served as acting commandant of the Coast Guard, a position he assumed in January 2025.

Before accepting the acting commandant role, Lunday served as the 34th vice commandant of the service from June 2024 to January 2025.

Lunday is a career national security attorney and judge advocate who previously served as head of the Atlantic Area; commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in the Pacific; commander of Coast Guard Cyber Command; and director of exercises and training at U.S. Cyber Command.

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