Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
Encyclopedia
Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces or COMUKMARFOR is a senior post in the Royal Navy
. The post is the highest sea-going command in the Royal Navy and is part of the Fleet Battle Staff based in Portsmouth
, part of Commander-in-Chief Fleet
's staff. The commander has the rank of Rear-Admiral
.
, this has been removed. The new Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG) is a 1 Star Commander who specialises in Maritime Security.
has assumed command of Commander UK Maritime Forces with Commodore
Simon Ancona as his deputy. Ancona is also the head of the UK Task Group. Ancona was previously COMUKCSG head. The UK Amphibious Task Group has been renamed as UK (Response Force) Task Group as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
with Commodore John Kingwell in charge.
who is a Royal Marine of equivalent rank. COMUKMARFOR is responsible for blue-water warfare, as opposed to COMUKAMPIBFOR who is responsible for amphibious warfare.
, aboard .
The Naval Task Group for Operation VELA, a three month deployment to West Africa in 2006, was under the command of Commander UK Amphibious Group, Commodore Phil Jones. The VELA deployment involved a significant number of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, the Royal Marine Commandos and helicopters. The Task Group included , , , , , , , , , , , Mine Counter Measure Squadron 1 and a Fleet submarine together with the Fleet Lead Commando Group, consisting of 40 Commando
Royal Marines, 59 Commando Independent Engineering Squadron, 29 Commando Royal Artillery
and 539 Assault Squadron
Royal Marines. Also involved were elements of Fleet Diving Unit 2 and 849 (B) Flight from RNAS Culdrose. Embarked in HMS Ocean for the deployment a Tailored Air Group (TAG) was formed, consisting of Sea King
helicopters of 845 Naval Air Squadron, 846 Naval Air Squadron, Merlin Mk 1 aircraft from 820 Naval Air Squadron
and Lynx
helicopters of 847 Naval Air Squadron. The Vela task group conducted an amphibious exercise, Exercise Green Eagle, in Sierra Leone.
Task Groups despatched to the Far East since 2003 have included deployments in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2003, Naval Task Group 03 had been intended to take part in FPDA exercises in the Asia-Pacific region but was diverted for involvement in the 2003 Iraq War
. Eventually part of the Naval Task Group
including , and departed Gulf waters, after the intervention phase of the Iraq War (2003), en route for Exercise Flying Fish, with Commonwealth-partners and members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
which are the United Kingdom
, Malaysia, Singapore
, Australia
and New Zealand
. In 2004, , , RFA Diligence and RFA Grey Rover visited the Asia-Pacific region. In 2005, Liverpool, with RFA Grey Rover, made such a deployment.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The post is the highest sea-going command in the Royal Navy and is part of the Fleet Battle Staff based in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, part of Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
's staff. The commander has the rank of Rear-Admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
.
History
The Commander UK Maritime Forces is a renaming of a previous position, Commander United Kingdom Task Group. Despite the name change, he still performs the same function. He is in command (at sea) of naval task forces and task groups formed for specific operations. He directs Commander UK Task Group and Commander UK Amphibious Task Group, both of whom are of one star rank. Previously, there was also Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group (COMUKCSG); however, with the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security ReviewStrategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
, this has been removed. The new Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG) is a 1 Star Commander who specialises in Maritime Security.
Recent Changes in Appointments
As of 2010, Rear-Admiral Duncan PottsDuncan Potts
Rear Admiral Duncan L. Potts is a Royal Navy officer who currently serves as Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces.-Naval career:Educated at Wellington School in Somerset, Potts joined the Royal Navy in 1979...
has assumed command of Commander UK Maritime Forces with Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Simon Ancona as his deputy. Ancona is also the head of the UK Task Group. Ancona was previously COMUKCSG head. The UK Amphibious Task Group has been renamed as UK (Response Force) Task Group as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
with Commodore John Kingwell in charge.
Organisation within the Royal Navy Fleet
COMUKMARFOR commands the COMUKTG and the COMATG (which includes the Royal Navy Response Force Task Group). He works closely with his equal in the Fleet Battle Staff, the Commander UK Amphibious Forces (COMUKAMPHIBFOR)Commandant General Royal Marines
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1945...
who is a Royal Marine of equivalent rank. COMUKMARFOR is responsible for blue-water warfare, as opposed to COMUKAMPIBFOR who is responsible for amphibious warfare.
Past Operational Deployments directed by COMUKMARFOR
Commodore Cunningham, the previous COMUKCSG, flew his flag throughout the January to May Orion '08 deployment, as Commander Task Group 328.01, which included exercises with the Indian NavyIndian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, aboard .
The Naval Task Group for Operation VELA, a three month deployment to West Africa in 2006, was under the command of Commander UK Amphibious Group, Commodore Phil Jones. The VELA deployment involved a significant number of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, the Royal Marine Commandos and helicopters. The Task Group included , , , , , , , , , , , Mine Counter Measure Squadron 1 and a Fleet submarine together with the Fleet Lead Commando Group, consisting of 40 Commando
40 Commando
40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
Royal Marines, 59 Commando Independent Engineering Squadron, 29 Commando Royal Artillery
29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
29 Commando Regiment is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery. The regiment is under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade providing artillery support and gunnery observation.- History :...
and 539 Assault Squadron
539 Assault Squadron RM
539 Assault Squadron RM is 3 Commando Brigade's integral amphibious movement capability, delivering them on to land from water and patrolling waterways. It also contains the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group operating the Viking BvS10 All Terrain Amphibious Armoured Vehicle...
Royal Marines. Also involved were elements of Fleet Diving Unit 2 and 849 (B) Flight from RNAS Culdrose. Embarked in HMS Ocean for the deployment a Tailored Air Group (TAG) was formed, consisting of Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopters of 845 Naval Air Squadron, 846 Naval Air Squadron, Merlin Mk 1 aircraft from 820 Naval Air Squadron
820 Naval Air Squadron
820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed in April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 405 Flight Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm...
and Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopters of 847 Naval Air Squadron. The Vela task group conducted an amphibious exercise, Exercise Green Eagle, in Sierra Leone.
Task Groups despatched to the Far East since 2003 have included deployments in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2003, Naval Task Group 03 had been intended to take part in FPDA exercises in the Asia-Pacific region but was diverted for involvement in the 2003 Iraq War
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Eventually part of the Naval Task Group
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
including , and departed Gulf waters, after the intervention phase of the Iraq War (2003), en route for Exercise Flying Fish, with Commonwealth-partners and members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
Five Power Defence Arrangements
The Five Power Defence Arrangements are a series of defence relationships established by a series of bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore signed in 1971, whereby the five states will consult each other in the event of external aggression...
which are the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In 2004, , , RFA Diligence and RFA Grey Rover visited the Asia-Pacific region. In 2005, Liverpool, with RFA Grey Rover, made such a deployment.
Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
Commanders have been as follows:- Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
James Burnell-NugentJames Burnell-NugentAdmiral Sir James Michael Burnell-Nugent KCB, CBE, ADC was the Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy.-Early life:He attended Stowe School in Buckinghamshire then went to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.-Naval career:...
(2001 to 2002) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
David SnelsonDavid SnelsonRear Admiral David George Snelson CB is a former Royal Navy officer who became Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces.-Naval career:Snelson joined the Royal Navy in 1969...
(2002-2004) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Charles StyleCharles StyleVice Admiral Charles Style CBE is a Royal Navy officer and the current Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies.-Naval career:...
(2004-2005) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Neil MorisettiNeil MorisettiRear Admiral Neil Morisetti CB is a senior British Royal Navy officer who is currently the United Kingdom's Climate and Energy Security Envoy.- Naval career :Morisetti was educated at the City of London School, and subsequently joined the Royal Navy in 1976...
(2005-2007) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
George ZambellasGeorge ZambellasVice Admiral George Michael Zambellas DSC, was Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces from June 2007 until September 2008 and is currently Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Chief of Staff to Navy Command Headquarters, and Chief Naval Warfare Officer.-Life:...
(2007-2008) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Philip JonesPhilip Jones (Royal Navy officer)Rear Admiral Philip A. Jones is a Royal Navy officer who became Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland.-Naval career:Educated at Mansfield College, Oxford and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Jones joined the Royal Navy in 1980...
(2008-2009) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Peter HudsonPeter Hudson (Royal Navy officer)Rear Admiral Peter D. Hudson CBE is a Royal Navy officer who became Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces.-Naval career:Educated at Netherthorpe Grammar School and the Royal Naval College, Darmouth, Hudson joined the Royal Navy in 1980...
(2009-2011) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Duncan PottsDuncan PottsRear Admiral Duncan L. Potts is a Royal Navy officer who currently serves as Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces.-Naval career:Educated at Wellington School in Somerset, Potts joined the Royal Navy in 1979...
(2011-)
Deputy Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
- CommodoreCommodore (Royal Navy)Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Simon Ancona (2011-) - CaptainCaptain (Royal Navy)Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
J.R.H.Clink (to take over Ancona with effect June 2011 and to be promoted to CommodoreCommodore (Royal Navy)Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
)