Pentagon Power Shift: $12B CIO Crowned

Aircraft carrier guided by tugboats in a harbor — Photo: Greg Meland / Shutterstock

The Navy just handed one leader the keys to a $12 billion tech engine that will shape how sailors and Marines fight, train, and win.

Story Snapshot

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao named M. Barry Tanner the permanent Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer.
Tanner will advise Navy leadership and manage a $12+ billion information technology portfolio spanning the Navy and Marine Corps.
The move locks in leadership to drive data, cloud, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence modernization across the force.
Tanner previously served as deputy, then acting Chief Information Officer, providing continuity during major upgrades.

A Permanent Appointment With Real Money and Real Missions

The Department of the Navy confirmed M. Barry Tanner as its permanent Chief Information Officer, appointed by Acting Secretary Hung Cao, with responsibility for a technology portfolio valued at more than $12 billion. The office will direct how the Navy and Marine Corps buy, secure, and use networks, data, and software at scale. The role serves as principal advisor on information matters to senior Navy leaders and must turn strategy into field results that speed decisions and protect systems in combat.

The appointment comes as the Navy accelerates a push to modernize legacy systems and shift to cloud-first services. Tanner, as acting Chief Information Officer earlier this year, highlighted “Operation Cattle Drive,” an effort to shut down or merge old systems and move users onto secure, common platforms. The program closed more than two dozen outdated tools and identified hundreds more for action. That kind of hands-on, measurable progress explains why continuity at the top matters during fast change.

Why Tanner, Why Now

Tanner followed a familiar path in federal tech leadership: deputy, acting, then permanent. He became deputy in 2024, moved into the acting role after a leadership transition in 2025, and now takes the job outright. That pattern stabilizes big programs and keeps momentum during budget cycles. The Navy needs that stability as it expands zero trust security, hardens networks against nation-state threats, and turns data into an edge at sea and ashore.

Acting Secretary Cao recently signed the Navy’s strategy to “weaponize” data and artificial intelligence, a roadmap to speed decisions and outpace rivals with better sensors, models, and targeting support. Tanner will have to align budgets, contracts, and talent pipelines to deliver on that plan. The job is not only about software or servers. It is about making sure commanders get clean, fast data they can trust, and that cyber defenders can detect and stop intrusions before they spread.

From Strategy Words to Fleet Outcomes

The Chief Information Officer office is judged on outcomes the fleet can feel. Faster account provisioning for a new sailor. Secure voice and data links that do not drop under stress. Logistics apps that cut days from parts delivery. And artificial intelligence tools that help analysts spot threats and skip noise. Tanner’s prior focus on pruning duplicative systems under Operation Cattle Drive shows a bias for cleaning house and simplifying the tech landscape to save money and reduce risk.

That simplification lines up with conservative values of stewardship and mission focus. Reduce waste, cut overlapping tools, and get more capability to the edge. The Navy has long suffered from system sprawl that drains budgets and slows upgrades. A permanent Chief Information Officer with clear authority and a mandate to deliver should press vendors for results and hold programs to timelines. That approach respects taxpayers and protects warfighters who depend on tech that works when it counts.

Continuity, Accountability, and the Next Hard Miles

The Navy’s information enterprise spans ships, submarines, aircraft, bases, and expeditionary units. It also spans the Marine Corps’ unique needs for fast, mobile, and secure connectivity. Tanner inherits the burden and opportunity of tying these threads into a common, secure fabric without stifling mission flexibility. The office reports to top Navy leadership and coordinates across the Department of Defense ecosystem, which gives leverage but also demands disciplined planning and clear metrics.

The task ahead is clear. Close more legacy systems. Move faster to common cloud services. Enforce zero trust security across every user and device. Build data pipelines that feed artificial intelligence without leaking secrets. And measure progress in fewer outages, quicker patch cycles, and shorter deployment times. The permanent appointment signals that the Navy wants less churn and more delivery. The fleet will judge by what gets fielded this year, not by what gets promised next year.