Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao has appointed retired Vice Adm. Richard Breckenridge to serve as senior adviser for shipbuilding, the service announced Monday.

“As we work to establish the Golden Fleet and strengthen our maritime dominance, his unparalleled leadership and deep expertise will be instrumental,” Cao said in a social media post. “He will play a critical role in revitalizing our industrial base, streamlining our acquisition process and ensuring we deliver the Fleet of the Future that our nation deserves.”

During his active-duty career, Breckenridge commanded Los Angelas-class attack submarine Memphis (SSN-691), served as commodore of Submarine Squadron 4 and commander of Submarine Group 2. He also served as director of undersea warfare, director of warfare integration and chief of staff for the Joint Staff's J8 directorate.

Breckenridge graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and later the Naval Postgraduate School. He retired from the Navy in 2015.