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Tag: Ministry of Defence

  • PRESS RELEASE : Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE appointed as new SDA Chief Executive Officer

    PRESS RELEASE : Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE appointed as new SDA Chief Executive Officer

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 10 August 2022.

    The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE as the new CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA).

    Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE will replace Ian Booth, whose five-year appointment as CEO of the SDA comes to an end on 3 September 2022.

    The SDA is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and was established in April 2018 to manage the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of UK nuclear submarines.

    Vice Admiral Sir Chris will take on this vital role within defence and ensure the SDA continues to provide support to the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and Continuous At Sea Deterrent by safely delivering available, capable and reliable in-service submarines and systems.

    On behalf of Director General Nuclear and the First Sea Lord, the SDA CEO will lead the day-to-day support and maintenance operations of Trafalgar, Astute and Vanguard Class submarines; and lead the design and construction of all new UK submarines including the Astute Class, the Dreadnought Class and the development of the next generation attack submarine concept.

    Incoming CEO of the SDA Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE said:

    “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as the new CEO of the SDA. I am looking forward to working with my new team on this area of vital Defence interest and continuing to deliver for the Royal Navy. Best of all, I am really looking forward to returning to my submarine roots.”

    Vice Admiral Sir Chris started his career as a Royal Navy Logistics Officer, before taking on various roles, including the Military Assistant to Director General Fleet Support and the Commander Logistics on HMS ARK ROYAL.

    After reaching the rank of Commodore, he became the Head of Capability Improvement in the MOD and was promoted to Vice Admiral in 2019 where he was appointed as Defence Equipment and Support’s Royal Navy lead for the acquisition and in-service support of the surface fleet.

    Director General Defence Nuclear Vanessa Nicholls said:

    “I am delighted to welcome Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE to the Defence Nuclear Enterprise as the new CEO of the SDA. He brings a wealth of operational experience to the role at a pivotal time for the UK Submarine Programme. I look forward to working with him.”

    Competition for Vice Admiral Sir Chris’ position was held earlier in the year. As with all senior Civil Service appointments, fair and open competition was ensured, with recruitment of the role being overseen by the Civil Service Commissioner.

     

  • Ministry of Defence – 2022 Statement on Ben Wallace’s Visit to Ukraine

    Ministry of Defence – 2022 Statement on Ben Wallace’s Visit to Ukraine

    The statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on 10 June 2022.

    The working visit took place this week to allow the Defence Secretary to hear first-hand how the operational needs of Ukraine’s Armed Forces are developing as the nature of the conflict continues to change. This will ensure that the UK’s continued support is evolving to meet those requirements and is tailored to the situation on the ground.

    The Defence Secretary visited Minister Reznikov on the first of the two day visit, before speaking with President Zelenskyy about how the UK support will continue to meet Ukraine’s needs as the conflict enters a different phase.

    The three agreed to work even more closely going forward in support of their shared goal of enabling Ukraine to liberate itself from illegal Russian occupation. They also discussed the range of equipment and training the UK is currently providing and what further support we can offer to help Ukrainian forces to defend their country.

    The meetings focused on the UK continuing to provide operationally effective lethal aid that meets the current and future threats facing Ukraine and follows up on a number of other in person meetings. In March, Minister Reznikov visited the Ministry of Defence and in April a Ukrainian military and political delegation visited Salisbury Plain training area to discuss UK provision of lethal aid. These face to face meetings allow for in-depth discussions on what support is required to meet the requirements of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

    Britain was the first European country to send lethal aid to Ukraine and has since sent military aid worth more than £750 million, including thousands of anti-tank missiles, air defence systems and armoured vehicles. The UK has also played a key convening role in the international effort to supply weapons to Ukraine, most notably hosting the first two international donor conferences. The Defence Secretary will ensure the insights and future requirements established from this visit will be used to support the wider international response.

    Following the new phase of the conflict in the Donbas, the UK recently announced it would gift M270 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukrainian forces defend themselves from Russian long-range artillery, which has been used indiscriminately to devastate population centres.