The Senate Armed Services Committee voted Thursday to advance the nomination of Gen. John Hyten to lead US Strategic Command. Hyten’s approval was included in a group of 40 military nominations voted on by the committee. Next, Hyten’s nomination will be voted on by the full Senate. If confirmed, Hyten will replace Adm. Cecil Haney, who has held the position since November 2013. Hyten has served as commander of Air Force Space Command since August 2014.
Just over a year ago, in July 2025, the Air Force established a dedicated office on the Air Staff for communications/cyber functions, separate from the intelligence directorate it had long been attached to. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Phillips, Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighter Communications and Cyber Systems, recently sat…