By the editorial team of the Bloomberg Opinion column

After forcing the withdrawal of a nominee over ethics concerns, Republican senators appear willing to overlook the past of another Cabinet pick Donald Trumpof the potential defense minister Pete Hegseth. Even lawmakers unconcerned about Hegseth’s character should ask some tough questions about his resume and priorities.

Leading an 850 billion bureaucracy. dollars, which oversees nearly 3 million soldiers and civil servants, would be a difficult task for even the most experienced candidate. However, the enormous challenges that will face the Pentagon the next four years will make this work particularly demanding.

Technological changes are revolutionizing warfare. Drones have changed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Artificial intelligence is set to transform everything from supply chains to hitting targets. Cyberwarfare is becoming increasingly important to counter all these innovations. America’s adversaries are quick to adopt new technologies, which can be cheaper than the weapons platforms the US typically has. The Pentagon needs to move very quickly and make more room for defense technology startups alongside the giants that dominate the industry.

Meanwhile, their opponents USA are reinforced. Russia has rebuilt its war machine with the help of Iran, North Korea and China. The latter is expanding its nuclear forces and space capabilities, and has nearly 3,000 missiles to neutralize US forces in the Indo-Pacific. Its shipyards alone have more than 200 times the capacity of American ones.

The US urgently needs to train workers and adopt technology and new manufacturing processes to accelerate production of submarine-launched ballistic missiles and other naval vessels. They must increase their stockpiles of precision munitions and strengthen their command and control systems. They must also find a way to modernize the nuclear arsenal without Washington resorting to trillion dollar budgets.

Finally, the next defense minister should be both a diplomat and a fighter. Whether or not US adversaries form into a true “axis,” Pentagon resources will be limited around the world. The Pentagon chief must nurture the partnerships the U.S. has built in Asia, strengthen NATO and work with allies to co-produce arms and ammunition — all while handling any crises that inevitably flare up.

What qualifications does Hegseth have for this position? Before becoming a Fox News anchor, he served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. His experience as an infantry platoon leader undoubtedly gave him insight into the state of troops deployed during the war on terror. He is also a Trump loyalist.

But unlike his recent predecessors, Hegseth has no senior management experience, and no background in defense policy or strategy, industrial affairs, budgeting and international diplomacy. While a capable deputy could theoretically handle the day-to-day issues, there is no guarantee that Trump would choose such a person. However, even a strong “number 2” would not have the required authority to advise the president, manage crises or negotiate with allies and enemies.

In terms of priorities, Hegseth is – like his would-be boss – preoccupied with culture war issues. He argues that diversity, equity and inclusion programs weaken soldiers’ fighting spirit. He wants transgender soldiers out of the military and women out of combat roles. He would also like to purge the “woke” generals from the ranks of the army. Whatever one’s position on these issues, they are far from the most pressing concerns facing the US military. (Funding for DEI programs amounts to 0.02% of the Pentagon budget.) A leader who prioritizes this sort of thing will only succeed in distracting himself from the long list of more important challenges.

Republican senators should remember that, whatever their policy priorities, they will be best served by a defense secretary who understands what needs to be done in the Pentagon and has the right tools to do it. They should insist that Trump choose a more suitable person.