The Senate on Friday confirmed Stephen Feinberg as the new deputy secretary of defense with a 59-40 vote, officially filling the Department of Defense’s (DoD) second-highest civilian position.
Feinberg becomes the third key DoD civilian personnel nominated by President Donald Trump to receive Senate confirmation, following the January confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the confirmation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll last month.
A New York native and businessman, Feinberg has no prior experience at the DoD but will now oversee its day-to-day operations, including executing the defense secretary’s priorities and managing the department’s budget. Feinberg served in President Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board during his first term from 2018 to 2021.
During his nomination hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., acknowledged Feinberg’s unconventional background and nomination for the position, but argued that it could be an advantage.
“Unlikely is what the department may need at this time,” Sen. Wicker said.
Feinberg told lawmakers he had “dozens of ideas” for improving the structure and operations of the DoD, including bringing in more individuals with private sector expertise, particularly those with experience in tech companies.
Additionally, Feinberg assured lawmakers that advancing autonomous capabilities would remain a top priority for him as deputy secretary of defense.
While Feinberg did not explicitly endorse the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, he underscored the importance of autonomous technologies in strengthening the U.S. military’s ability to deter foreign adversaries, particularly in the near term. He stressed the need for developing autonomy in large numbers, with centralized command structures, which could potentially replace traditional, next-generation systems like advanced aircraft.
The Replicator initiative, managed by the Defense Innovation Unit, aims to deploy thousands of autonomous systems across multiple domains by August 2025 as part of the Pentagon’s broader strategy to counter China’s growing military power. At the same time, the department is progressing with Replicator Two, a follow-up effort focused on scaling the deployment of existing counter-drone technologies.
Fineberg pledged to ensure the department remains focused on addressing these pressing challenges and delivering innovative capabilities to warfighters, “in line with the Secretary’s priorities of rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence.”
“I will work with the appropriate stakeholders to review the value of initiatives like Replicator,” Feinberg wrote in response to advance policy questions from the committee ahead of his confirmation hearing.
