Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN/RDA) is a civilian official in the U.S. Navy. The ASN/RDA oversees all acquisition programs for the Navy and Marine Corps, following guidelines from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and also runs the Office of Naval Research.
The office was created in March 1990 by merging the duties of two former assistant secretaries (shipbuilding and logistics; and research, engineering and systems) to unify Navy buying and development work.
Appointments are made by the President with Senate confirmation. The ASN/RDA reports to the Secretary of the Navy (and to the Under Secretary of the Navy) and is based at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. There is no fixed term.
Key facts: the position is established under 10 U.S.C. § 8016. The first holder was Gerald A. Cann. The ASN/RDA is 18th in the succession to the Secretary of Defense by appointment seniority. Salary is Executive Schedule, Level IV. The current acting ASN/RDA is Jason L. Potter (since July 16, 2025). Formal address is The Honorable. Official information is available on the department’s website.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:02 (CET).