After forcing the withdrawal of one ethically challenged nominee, Republican senators seem inclined to overlook the checkered past of another of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, potential Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Even lawmakers unconcerned about Hegseth’s character should ask some hard questions about his resume and priorities.

Leading an $850 billion bureaucracy that oversees nearly 3 million troops and civilian employees would be a daunting task for even the most experienced nominee. Yet the formidable challenges facing the Pentagon over the next four years will make the job especially demanding.

Head-spinning technological changes are revolutionizing combat. Drones have reshaped wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Artificial intelligence is set to transform everything from logistics to targeting. Electronic, anti-satellite and cyber warfare are becoming more critical to countering all these innovations.

America’s rivals are rapidly adopting new technologies, which can be cheaper than the exquisite weapons platforms the U.S. typically fields. The Pentagon needs to move much faster to integrate off-the-shelf civilian equipment and open more room for defense-technology startups alongside the massive “primes” that dominate the industry.

Meanwhile, U.S. adversaries are gaining in strength and cohesion. Russia has rebuilt its war machine with help from Iran, North Korea and China. The latter is expanding its nuclear forces and space capabilities, while lining up nearly 3,000 missiles to take out U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific. Its shipyards alone have more than 200 times the capacity of America’s.

The U.S. must urgently train workers and install technology and new manufacturing processes to accelerate production of ballistic-missile submarines and other naval vessels. It needs to build up dangerously thin stockpiles of precision munitions and harden its command-and-control systems. It must also find a way to modernize its nuclear arsenal without resorting to trillion-dollar Pentagon budgets.

Finally, the next defense secretary will need to be as much diplomat as warrior. Whether U.S. rivals cohere into a true “axis” or not, the Pentagon’s resources will be constrained across the globe. Its chief must nurture the overlapping set of partnerships the U.S. has established in Asia, strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and work with allies to coproduce weapons and munitions — all while handling whatever crises inevitably flare up.

What qualifications does Hegseth bring to the job? Before becoming a Fox News host, he served honorably in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. His experience leading an infantry platoon no doubt gave him insight into the frustrations of troops deployed during the war on terrorism. He is also a Trump loyalist.

But unlike his recent predecessors, Hegseth lacks experience of high command, as well as any background in defense policy or strategy, industrial issues, budgeting, international diplomacy, or in navigating interagency and interservice frictions. While a capable deputy could in theory manage day-to-day affairs, there’s no guarantee Trump would select one. And even the strongest No. 2 would not have the needed authority to advise the president, manage crises, or negotiate with allies and rivals.

As for priorities, Hegseth is — like his would-be boss — preoccupied with culture-war issues. He argues that diversity, equity and inclusion programs are sapping warfighters of their martial spirit. He wants transgender troops out of the military and women out of combat roles. He’d also like to purge “woke” generals from the ranks. Wherever one stands on such issues, they’re far from the most pressing concerns facing the U.S. military. (Funding for DEI programs amounts to 0.02% of the Pentagon budget.) A leader who prioritizes this sort of thing will only be distracted from the lengthening list of more urgent challenges.

Republican senators should remember that whatever their policy priorities are, they’d be better served by a defense secretary who understands what needs to be done at the Pentagon and is equipped to do it. They should insist Trump send them one.

_____

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

_____

©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.