WASHINGTON – The US Navy’s new top officer vowed to radically overhaul the fleet in his swearing-in ceremony on Monday in Washington amid shake-ups of top brass by the Trump administration.

“Today we stand at an inflection point. We are entering what may be the most consequential chapter in American seapower,” Adm. Daryl Caudle said at the ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.

“Technological disruption is accelerating. The maritime domain is increasingly contested and the margin for error is shrinking,” Caudle noted. “The decisions we make and the actions we take today will reverberate for decades to come. To prevail in this environment, we must build and sustain a navy that is resilient, agile, globally present and combat credible.”

The confirmation of a new Navy chief comes as the service has been battered by setbacks in its ambitions to modernize and expand the fleet’s industrial production and maintenance base. Its shipbuilding and acquisition goals have been set back as it prepares to face down an anticipated conflict with China over Taiwan as early as 2027. Additional delays have been projected for the delivery of several key initiatives, including the next aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and planned Virginia and Columbia-class submarines.