US President Donald Trump will nominate Patrick Shanahan to be his second secretary of defence.
The former Boeing executive has been leading the Pentagon as acting secretary since January 1.
It was regarded as a highly unusual arrangement for arguably the most sensitive Cabinet position.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said “Shanahan has proven over the last several months that he is beyond qualified to lead the Department of Defence and he will continue to do an excellent job.”
Mr Shanahan, who is 56, has a depth of experience in the defence industry but little in government.
He replaced former Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general, who quit in December after clashing with Mr Trump over the president’s call to withdraw American troops from Syria.
