OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe says he will oppose Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next Secretary of Defense.

Inhofe said in a statement late Tuesday that he and his former Republican U.S. Senate colleague were "simply too philosophically opposed on the issues" for Inhofe to support his nomination. Inhofe released the statement after meeting with Hagel, whom he described as a "good person" and a friend.

Inhofe is now the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and says he is particularly concerned with avoiding sequestration, or automatic budget cuts to the nation's defense budget. But Inhofe says Hagel has not demonstrated the same level of concern about the pending defense cuts.

Inhofe says he's also concerned about Hagel's support of nuclear disarmament.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)