General Sir Gwyn Jenkins has formally taken command of the Royal Navy as First Sea Lord, following a ceremony aboard HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
The supersession ceremony, held in the historic Great Cabin of Admiral Nelson’s flagship, was attended by senior naval leaders, including Acting Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell.
General Jenkins, previously Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of State for Defence, now assumes responsibility for leading the UK’s Senior Service at a time of heightened focus on combat readiness, shipbuilding, and technological transformation. He is the first Royal Marines officer to serve as First Sea Lord.
“It is a huge honour to formally start in the role of First Sea Lord today,” he said during the handover. “Leading the incredible sailors, marines and civil servants of the Royal Navy is a true privilege. I have always been driven by our mission to keep the UK safe – now more than ever we must: strengthen our combat readiness, modernise faster and shape the Navy our country needs.”
In his new post, General Jenkins commands over 30,000 personnel, more than 50 warships, submarines, and support vessels, as well as the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Marines. His tenure is expected to include the operational debut of the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, the cutting of steel for the first Fleet Solid Support ship, and the entry into service of the seventh Astute-class submarine. He will also oversee continued development of the Dreadnought-class strategic deterrent.
A graduate of the Advanced Command and Staff Course, Jenkins has held senior roles across the UK’s military and government. His career has included operational command in Afghanistan, where he was awarded the OBE, and time at the heart of British political decision-making, including roles at No.10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.
Rising to Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 2022, Jenkins was later appointed Commandant General of the Royal Marines—a position he will retain alongside his new role as head of the Royal Navy.
50. Once it was described as over 70.
No mention of increasing mass, but the usual modernisation, which in reality is ongoing and never ending as new kit replaces old. It also usually means cuts.
No SDR has ever been needed for modernisation.
This country needs a minimum force level and spend enshrined in law, cross party, so the next rabble in power don’t go and dismantle even more.
not even a sailor.
Doesn’t need to be, Andy.
1SL is not an operational command position, more an executive, figurehead role.
RM are not usually sailors, neither are FAA pilots.
Both are just as valid as part of the Naval Service.
Here Here!
Whoever is 1SL will always bring their own experience and expertise to the roll.
Look at the vital role played by the RMs in the recent drug seizure by HMS Lancaster.
Agreed defence capabilities and levels should not be a political foot ball.. every defence review should be a strategic event supported by all parties and focused on the threat not the budget…
So things like
30 escorts
3 fully deployable armoured brigades and 3 fully deployable infantry brigades
12 fast jet squadrons
Etc etc
Should all be agreed in a cross party defence review that needs to receive some form of super majority vote over the governments parliamentary majority.
And yet, word is the SDR had been held up for weeks in HMT. I read that Robertson himself said as such.
To me, they’re the greatest threat our military faces.
Agreed treasury control is a significant issue, the treasury should be there to decide how to pay for what is needed not to decide what is needed.
Apparently it’s held up because of Trump. Supposedly he’ll demand for a min of 5% with addition benchmarks of where front load spending is spent by a particular date – it’s speculation but supposedly, sensibly they are doing revisions with this understanding in mind.
Particularly if Britain is going to angle itself as a leading power in Europe as it looks to rearm – getting the SDR right in the context is also important I’d suggest
Again it’s speculation but not unreasonable knowing Trump and what he’s said and done till now. So a hopefully relative and SLIGHT delay with that in mind is forgivable for me, for now
The usual assumption is that HMT are busy pruning and cutting stuff off, which was reported in previous months when Robertson submitted it.
No way to run a supposedly strategic review. But no different to other farcical reviews where finance, not actual real world threat or force level requirement, decides.
But if what you say is true, that is welcome if they’re actually reacting to Trumps demands.
Till he threw the toys out the pram, much of European NATO, including us, were doing zilch beyond the tired, irrelevant 2%.
Double hatting again, CGRM and 1SL?
Daniele, I am surprised at this particular double hatting. Not clever. He will be distracted from his core job.
Indeed. It seems to have become quite common further down the chain, but not at that level.
Good luck 1SL. You’ll need it.
“General” ?
So hes not a naval officer ?
Strewth…All that scrambled egg the RN has and their top dog is now Army. Good grief..
OK, I see now he is RM. I suppose its a bit better…
Good luck to him, as said above he may well need it! A good appointment though from what I hear, one that hasn’t gone down badly with the RN – which could easily have been the case with a Royal taking over.
Good to see him acknowledging the civil servants as well. Too often they get bashed from all sides. While there are clearly some awful ones, the vast majority are dedicated and professional and can rightly take pride in the achievements of HM Forces.
Which one was Jenkins? How difficult could it be to caption the photo?
Jenkins is the one on the left, who reminds me a bit of Welsh comedian Rob Brydon. The one on the right is the Second Sea Lord, Martin Connell.