Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
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.
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[edit] History
The Commander UK Maritime Forces is a renaming of a previous position, Commander United Kingdom Task Group.[1] 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);[2] however, with the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, this has been removed.[3] The new Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG) is a 1 Star Commander who specialises in Maritime Security.[1]
[edit] Recent Changes in Appointments
As of 2010, Rear-Admiral Duncan Potts 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.[4] 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.[5][6][1]
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COMUKMARFOR commands the COMUKTG and the COMATG (which includes the Royal Navy Response Force Task Group[7]).[5][4] He works closely with his equal in the Fleet Battle Staff, the Commander UK Amphibious Forces (COMUKAMPHIBFOR) who is a Royal Marine of equivalent rank.[8][4] COMUKMARFOR is responsible for blue-water warfare, as opposed to COMUKAMPIBFOR who is responsible for amphibious warfare.
[edit] 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,[9] which included exercises with the Indian Navy, aboard HMS Illustrious.
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.[10] The Task Group included HMS Albion, HMS Ocean, HMS Southampton, HMS Argyll, RFA Wave Knight, RFA Mounts Bay, RFA Sir Bedivere, RFA Fort Austin, HMS Enterprise, RFA Diligence, RFA Oakleaf, 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 Liverpool, Marlborough and RFA Grey Rover 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, Exeter, Echo, RFA Diligence and RFA Grey Rover visited the Asia-Pacific region. In 2005, Liverpool, with RFA Grey Rover, made such a deployment.
[edit] Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
Commanders have been as follows:[11]
- Rear-Admiral James Burnell-Nugent (2001 to 2002)
- Rear-Admiral David Snelson (2002-2004)
- Rear-Admiral Charles Style (2004-2005)
- Rear-Admiral Neil Morisetti (2005-2007)
- Rear-Admiral George Zambellas (2007-2008)
- Rear-Admiral Philip Jones (2008-2009)
- Rear-Admiral Peter Hudson (2009-2011)
- Rear-Admiral Duncan Potts (2011-)
[edit] Deputy Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
- Commodore Simon Ancona (2011-)[4]
- Captain J.R.H.Clink (to take over Ancona with effect June 2011 and to be promoted to Commodore)[12][4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Fleet Battle Staff: History
- ^ Royal Navy: Bridge Card
- ^ Royal Navy: Bridge Card February 2011
- ^ a b c d e Royal Navy: Commander Amphibious Task Group
- ^ a b Royal Navy: Commander United Kingdom Task Group
- ^ Royal Navy: New Admiral visits
- ^ Royal Navy: COUGAR
- ^ Royal Navy: Commander UK Maritime Forces
- ^ Richard Scott, 'ASW Resurfaces,' Jane's Defence Weekly, Volume 45, Issue 24, 11 June 2008, p.25
- ^ "Exercise Green Eagle - Sierra Leone". afdevinfo.com. http://www.afdevinfo.com/htmlreports/org/org_58480.html. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
- ^ Royal Navy Senior Appointments
- ^ Promotions Defence View Points
