The commanding officer of the San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser Lake Erie was relieved of command due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to command," the Navy said in a statement Friday.
Capt. Danielle DeFant was fired as skipper Thursday while the ship was in-port in San Diego, said Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson, a spokesperson for Naval Surface Force Pacific.
DeFant, who took command of the ship in July 2022, was relieved by Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 9.
DeFant enlisted in 1992 and received her commission in 1999, according to her Navy biography.
"Loss of confidence" is boilerplate jargon used by the Navy when ship commanders are relieved and can mean anything. When asked, Abrahamson declined to go into further detail on the circumstances around DeFant's firing.
"The decision to relieve a commanding officer is made with the utmost of care after a thorough review by higher command leadership," Abrahamson said.
Capt. Brandon Burkett assumed command of the ship pending the arrival of a permanent replacement, the Navy said.
