Senate confirms nuclear weapons chief, key Pentagon officials

WASHINGTON — America’s next nuclear weapons czar, the Pentagon’s management chief and its chief innovation officer were among eight Trump national security nominees the Senate confirmed late Thursday.

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty was confirmed as the undersecretary for nuclear security at the Department of Energy, the top job for managing America’s arsenal of nuclear warheads. Previously on the National Security Council, Gordon-Hagerty replaces Frank Klotz, the retired Air Force general who has been in the job since 2014.

John Gibson was confirmed as the Pentagon’s chief management officer, a relatively new top position. He’s the deputy chief management officer and previously served as president and CEO of XCOR Aerospace.

Michael Griffin was confirmed as the Pentagon’s undersecretary of research and engineering, essentially acting as DoD’s chief innovation officer, another new position. He is a former NASA administrator and it’s been speculated he could be tapped to head the military’s space programs.

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The Senate also confirmed:

· Kevin Fahey to be assistant secretary of defense for acquisitions;

· William Roper to be an assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisitions;

· John Henderson was to be an assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy;

· Phyllis Bayer to be an assistant secretary of the Navy for installations, energy and environment; and

· Thomas Ayres to be general counsel of the department of the Air Force.

Aaron Mehta contributed to this report.

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