Washington - US president-elect Barack Obama named four former Clinton officials to posts in the Pentagon, including William Lynn as deputy secretary of defence.

Lynn, now a top executive at defence firm Raytheon, served as the Pentagon chief budget official from 1997 to 2001. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the second-highest ranking civilian in the Pentagon under Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

Obama named Robert Hale, a former assistant secretary of the Air Force, to become the top budget officer in the Defence Department. Michele Flournoy was nominated to become the undersecretary of defence for policy.

Obama named Jeh Charles Johnson to serve as general counsel. (dpa)