James Burnell-Nugent

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Admiral Sir James Michael Burnell-Nugent, KCB, CBE, ADC, is the current Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy and Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom.

Burnell-Nugent joined the Royal Navy in 1971 after reading Mathematics at Cambridge. He has commanded in every rank from Lieutenant to Admiral, including flying his flag in all three aircraft carriers. He took up his present post in November 2005. As Commander-in-Chief Fleet he is responsible for the preparation and operation of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the Royal Navy. He also has a NATO appointment as Commander Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood. He was awarded the CBE in 1999 and KCB in 2004.

He commanded the conventional submarine HMS Olympus 1979-80 and the nuclear powered submarine HMS Conqueror 1984-86, carrying out many Cold War patrols. In command of the frigate HMS Brilliant 1992-93, he was involved in the early stages of the Bosnia Crisis. He was in command of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible when she made two joint operational deployments to the Gulf for air operations over Iraq and then conducted further air operations during the Kosovo War. As Commander UK Maritime Forces 2001–02, he was Maritime Commander of the UK Joint Force and the Deputy Maritime Commander of the Coalition for the first 6 months of the War on Terror, a force of 40,000 men and women in 104 ships.

In between these operational duties he has served in several appointments in the Ministry of Defence, both on the Central and Naval Staffs, and gained cross-Whitehall experience while seconded to HM Treasury for a year. In most of these appointments he has been involved in leadership and management of change issues. In 1999–2000 he was on the Navy Board as the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff. On promotion to Vice Admiral, he took up the post of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.

On 15 November 2005, he was promoted to Admiral and took up his current appointment.