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Gates expected to remain with Danzig as deputy

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce his picks for several senior national security posts next week, including his plans to keep Robert Gates on as defense secretary, several sources said this week.

Sources said Gates could stay up to one year to continue overseeing U.S. war policy, with top Obama defense adviser Richard Danzig installed as his deputy. Danzig is a former Navy secretary. Several sources indicated this week that Obama likely would elevate Danzig to the secretary post once Gates steps aside.

Defense News first reported that scenario Nov. 11.

Keeping Gates with Danzig as his No. 2 would allow the incumbent to continue overseeing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars until the Obama defense and national security team is ready to take over, the sources said. Then Gates would step aside, Danzig would be elevated and a new deputy defense secretary would be nominated by the president.

In the meantime, the new deputy is expected to be tasked with engineering a number of acquisition system and other internal Pentagon reforms, the sources said.

Exactly how long Gates would remain in the post after Obama is sworn in on Jan. 20 has yet to be determined, the sources said.

In the months before the election, former Pentagon officials and analysts said Gates had a good chance of being asked to stay on into the next administration, noting his role in revamping U.S. strategy that steered the conflict in Iraq in a more positive direction.