The US Senate has confirmed Army Secretary Mark Esper as defense secretary, ending the longest period the Pentagon has gone without a confirmed leader.
Fifty-five-year-old Esper won Senate confirmation on Tuesday by a majority vote. He was sworn in later in the day as the second defense chief in the Trump administration.
Esper spent more than 20 years in the Army after graduating from the US Military Academy.
He was vice president at a major defense contractor before he became Army Secretary in November 2017.
In a Senate confirmation hearing on July 16, the army veteran expressed alarm over China's rapid expansion of influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
He stressed that he aims to forge stronger ties with Japan and other US allies to counter China.
The post of defense secretary had been vacant for more than six months after James Mattis stepped down at the end of December.
Esper is faced with various national security challenges including China and Iran.
US and Japanese officials say that Esper plans to visit Japan early in August to exchange views over a US proposal to launch a coalition of allies to ensure safe passages in the Strait of Hormuz.
NHK
