Army officer with Indo-Pacific experience emerges as potential Cyber Command, NSA pick

A senior U.S. military officer with no digital warfare experience has emerged as a top contender to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, Recorded Future News has learned.

President Donald Trump is considering Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd — the No. 2 at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command — for the “dual-hat” leadership role atop the two entities, according to multiple people familiar with the administration’s search.

These people, who were granted anonymity to speak more freely about the process, stressed that Rudd could easily fall out of contention, given the already drawn-out, chaotic process that has seen two candidates — including the current acting Cyber Command and NSA chief — ultimately not receive the nomination.

The military’s top cyberwarfare organization and the world’s most powerful electronic spying agency have been without a permanent leader for more than seven months now, since Trump fired Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, along with his top NSA deputy. 

The moves, for which far-right activist Laura Loomer later claimed credit, have shaken both Cyber Command and the NSA, though key leadership posts have begun to be filled at the spy agency.

The command has two other positions that will be filled once the top spot is settled. 

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock, the head of the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), would be named the next deputy chief, according to sources.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Lennox, a senior leader at Army Cyber Command, would then succeed Mahlock to lead the command’s premiere force and receive his second star.

Special ops experience 

Unlike other potential picks, such as Army Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, the leader of Cyber Command’s network defense arm, Rudd, according to his official biography, has no experience in cybersecurity or signals intelligence — the sensitive work performed by the NSA to collect and analyze foreign electronic communications.

In his current job, Rudd helps to oversee the command's strategic objectives in the vast Indo-Pacific theater, such as deterrence and cooperation with partners and allies. For example, he has represented INDOPACOM in diplomatic engagements with Japan and Brunei.

Prior to becoming the command’s deputy last year, he served as its chief of staff. He previously was the head of Special Operations Command Pacific. Among other leadership positions within special forces, he deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan.

While Rudd’s resume may not boast the same background as Stanton or other contenders, like Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, the head of his service’s information warfare command, there are several factors working in his favor.

His boss, INDOPACOM chief Adm. Samuel Papparo, is pushing his candidacy with Pentagon brass, according to two sources. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is also supportive of his bid, another source told Recorded Future News.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rudd’s background aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to see someone who has led combat forces as the next Cyber Command chief. 

His various roles in the Pacific also dovetail with the administration’s desire to improve U.S. posture in the region for a potential future conflict with China, particularly if Beijing were to invade Taiwan.

The U.S. intelligence community and cybersecurity officials have long warned that if an invasion happens, China would likely try to hobble critical U.S. systems with cyberattacks on military transport systems and key civilian services, like water and electricity.

Below the dual-hat 

If Mahlock is tapped to be Cyber Command’s deputy, it would be somewhat of a surprise. 

Her personal background — she was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S as a teenager before enlisting in the military just three months after arriving in the country — is counter to narratives pushed by Hegseth and other administration officials against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” efforts. 

In addition, Hegseth has dismissed, or stopped the promotion of, several female military officers with no explanation.

Mahlock was the first Black woman to achieve the rank of brigadier general in the Marine Corps and was the service’s first female chief information officer. Before taking the reins of CNMF, she was  the first military deputy director for combat support for the NSA’s Cybersecurity Directorate.

As for Lennox, he previously served as the CNMF’s deputy commander for operations. The digital warfighting corps is at the forefront of U.S. efforts against foreign adversaries online, including “hunt forward” missions around the globe to glean the tactics of malicious actors and acquire new malware samples.

In his role at Army Cyber Command, Lennox leads a team that provides cyberspace support to U.S. Central, Africa and Northern Commands. 

For example, he was in the chain-of-command earlier this year for Operation Midnight Hammer, which saw U.S. bombers hit multiple Iranian nuclear sites. 

“The strike package was supported by U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Force and U.S. European command,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in a briefing at the Pentagon after the mission.

No further details about Cyber Command’s efforts have been disclosed.