Experts see NSA nominee’s Pacific experience as a boost to US cyber posture on China

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd and India Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit co-chaired the 22nd Military Cooperation Group at USINDOPACOM headquarters in Honolulu, Nov. 3-4, 2025. Staff Sgt. Angel Heraldez/U.S. Army

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command comes from a less traditional background than past military leaders who have held the dual-hatted role, though former officials and China experts say his experience operating in the Indo-Pacific can benefit U.S. cyber operations focused on Beijing.

Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd was nominated last month to lead the foreign eavesdropping giant and digital combatant command. He is currently deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command, and is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning.

Rudd’s official biography shows a career spent largely in special operations and joint ...