Rear Admiral Philip Yu

Philip Yu retired from the U.S. Navy as a Rear Admiral following a 29 year international career spanning various national security leadership assignments.  

As a senior officer Rear Admiral Yu was responsible for risk reduction dialog between the United States military and the People’s Liberation Army of China, and he culminated his career as the U.S. defense attaché to the Russian Federation, advising and reporting on events in Moscow during the Kremlin’s 2022 invasion of neighboring Ukraine.  

Rear Admiral Yu’s operational experience includes tours aboard fast attack nuclear submarines and ballistic missile submarines. Following his selection to the Navy’s Foreign Area Officer (FAO) community, he served multiple overseas assignments, collaborating with NATO allies, coalition forces in Afghanistan, and with partners in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. As the senior Foreign Area Officer for the U.S. Navy, Rear Admiral Yu oversaw the strategic deployment and career management of Navy FAOs serving in 78 countries worldwide.

A graduate of Stanford University, Rear Admiral Yu earned his B.A. in Political Science through the Naval ROTC scholarship program. He also holds a Master’s in Diplomacy from Norwich University. In addition to his military service, Rear Admiral Yu is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.