Who is he?
Vice Admiral Scott Swift is a career aviator who entered the U.S. Navy in 1979. Swift was most recently the director of Navy staff in the Office of the Chief of Navy Operations. He was the former head of the U.S. 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan. Swift has a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval War College.
Vice Adm. Scott Swift (right), then-commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, shakes hands with Capt. David Welch, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 31, during the closing ceremony of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Thailand 2012. Photo courtesy of Commander U.S. 7th Fleet Flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.
Why is he in the news?
President Barack Obama in November 2014 nominated Swift to replace Admiral Harry Harris as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Harris was confirmed as head of the U.S. Pacific Command in December, but has yet to take up his new post. Swift will also be promoted to a four-star admiral when the Senate fully confirms his nomination.
What can we expect from him?
Swift’s prior experience as head of the Japan-based 7th Fleet will be invaluable in managing the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s increasing presence in the Asia Pacific. One central challenge for Swift will be managing China’s growing naval capabilities, which Beijing has deployed to stake its claims in a number of maritime disputes in the region. Swift is also expected to pay greater attention to expanded naval cooperation with and maritime capacity-building for littoral states in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and the Philippines.
