In an unprecedented purge of the military’s senior leadership Friday night, President Donald Trump fired the top US general just moments before his defense secretary fired the chief of the US Navy and the vice chief of the Air Force.

Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as the nation's next chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Capt. Dave Snowden, who was in charge of the USS Harry S. Truman when the aircraft carrier collided with a merchant ship, has been fired, the Navy announced.

Capt. Dave Snowden, commander of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, was relieved of duty Thursday due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command. The Truman was involved in a collision Feb.

Australia accused China on Saturday of failing to give satisfactory reasons for what it called inadequate notice of a live-fire drill in waters between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights.

Airlines have been contacted by Australia’s air traffic control agency warning them of reports of live fire off the country’s east coast where a Chinese navy task group has been operating, the agency and Australian officials said.

The Chinese naval exercises, in international waters off Australia’s eastern coast, while legal, have nonetheless sparked alarm in Australia and New Zealand.