Michael Utley | |
---|---|
Born | Cardiff [1] | 9 March 1970
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1990–present |
Rank | Vice Admiral |
Service number | C034872K [2] |
Commands held |
Allied Maritime Command United Kingdom Maritime Forces United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 HMS Illustrious HMS Portland HMS Tyne HMS Leeds Castle HMS Exploit |
Awards |
Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Vice Admiral Michael Keith Utley, CB, OBE is a senior Royal Navy officer who currently serves as Commander Allied Maritime Command, NATO, since January 2023.
Educated at Cowbridge School, [3] Utley joined the Royal Navy in October 1990. [4] He became the commanding officer of the patrol ship HMS Exploit in 1995, [3] of the patrol ship HMS Leeds Castle in 2003, [5] and of the patrol ship HMS Tyne in 2004, [3] before becoming commanding officer of the frigate HMS Portland in 2006, [6] with promotion to commander on 30 June 2006. [7] He went on to become Commander Sea Training in 2010, [3] before being appointed the last commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in May 2013 [8] and in that role was deployed to provide humanitarian aid in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November 2013. [9]
Utley became commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in June 2017, [10] Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group in October 2018, [11] and Commander United Kingdom Strike Force in December 2019. [12] He was promoted to vice-admiral on 13 January 2023, [13] and assumed command of NATO's Allied Maritime Command the same month. [14]
Utley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in the 2015 Special Honours, [15] and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2020 Birthday Honours. [2]