So now we have a new First Sea Lord – the head of the Royal Navy, also known as the Chief of the Naval Staff. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins will be the 43rd person to assume this position since the title changed from First Naval Lord in 1904.
He is also the first Royal Marine to get the job, and therefore the first one who has not commanded a warship. For those stuck in 1904 this will be a problem. Most, me included, see a highly capable officer with a breadth of combat experience that would leave most warship captains, me included, in the dust.
Historically, in any case, it’s only fair to let a Marine command the RN. Back in Napoleonic times the Royal Marines were broken up into small parties carried as part of a warship’s crew and under the command of the ship’s captain. To add insult to injury, on paper the parties were assembled into larger formations requiring colonels and generals to command them. Though these colonels and generals were not normally required to do any duty their salaries were still paid, usually as a lucrative perk given to serving naval officers on top of their regular pay.
Uniform and history aside, Jenkins has got one hell of a job to do. The unfortunate departure of his predecessor will be a mere pinprick given the mountain he now has to climb. He is taking over a 30,000-person company that has been under-resourced for the last three decades and which attracts disproportionate attention when things go wrong. Threats to the UK and our interests are climbing fast; evidence that resources will increase to match this is not. This creates a political minefield that will take all his special forces training to navigate – and that’s before we even get to the risk to our ships and people due to lack of funds.
Given that he has been the victim of one leak campaign already, and is the subject of an ongoing investigation, he at least will not need to be reminded that he takes over during an unusually vicious period of inter-service rivalry. With the powers of the next Chief of Defence Staff set to increase under the new strategic headquarters construct, he will be keen to set about managing that relationship so he can lead the navy “up and out”.
The Royal Navy’s reputation as a fighting force at sea remains good, as it should. No matter how thin it has become, it finds a way to punch above its weight. However, looking at what would happen to the Senior Service in the early days of a serious fight will worry Jenkins profoundly, especially as the Carrier Strike Group gets ever closer to the missile-haunted Red Sea.
On a more positive note there are some exciting build programs in train for him to oversee, including two new classes of frigates and new nuclear submarines. Uncrewed systems are being developed at a decent rate but the system that allows smaller companies to compete here needs a complete overhaul. Without enough money, he should recognise this as a cheap(er) way to increase lethality and mass.
The role of the Royal Marine Commandos will also need careful handling given the near total disappearance of the ships required to put them ashore in decent numbers. Nothing is safe from the Treasury knife these days but Jenkins will be perfectly placed to ensure this core element of Naval fighting power not just survives but continues to excel.
The General may find himself alone fighting the Navy’s corner in the not too distant future, as the other Service chiefs change over and dark blue uniforms disappear. It’s to be hoped he’s ready for that.
It’s a wonderful privilege to lead what was once the world’s pre-eminent fighting force but the baggage that comes with the job is heavy. In General Gwyn we have a first class leader to steer our ship through this, irrespective of his uniform. He has the best job title in the world but perhaps also the hardest task. I wish him fair winds and following seas: but I fear he may not get them.
Tom Sharpe OBE served for 27 years as a Royal Navy officer, commanding four different warships
So now we have a new First Sea Lord – the head of the Royal Navy, also known as the Chief of the Naval Staff. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins will be the 43rd person to assume this position since the title changed from First Naval Lord in 1904.
He is also the first Royal Marine to get the job, and therefore the first one who has not commanded a warship. For those stuck in 1904 this will be a problem. Most, me included, see a highly capable officer with a breadth of combat experience that would leave most warship captains, me included, in the dust.
Historically, in any case, it’s only fair to let a Marine command the RN. Back in Napoleonic times the Royal Marines were broken up into small parties carried as part of a warship’s crew and under the command of the ship’s captain. To add insult to injury, on paper the parties were assembled into larger formations requiring colonels and generals to command them. Though these colonels and generals were not normally required to do any duty their salaries were still paid, usually as a lucrative perk given to serving naval officers on top of their regular pay.
Uniform and history aside, Jenkins has got one hell of a job to do. The unfortunate departure of his predecessor will be a mere pinprick given the mountain he now has to climb. He is taking over a 30,000-person company that has been under-resourced for the last three decades and which attracts disproportionate attention when things go wrong. Threats to the UK and our interests are climbing fast; evidence that resources will increase to match this is not. This creates a political minefield that will take all his special forces training to navigate – and that’s before we even get to the risk to our ships and people due to lack of funds.
Given that he has been the victim of one leak campaign already, and is the subject of an ongoing investigation, he at least will not need to be reminded that he takes over during an unusually vicious period of inter-service rivalry. With the powers of the next Chief of Defence Staff set to increase under the new strategic headquarters construct, he will be keen to set about managing that relationship so he can lead the navy “up and out”.
The Royal Navy’s reputation as a fighting force at sea remains good, as it should. No matter how thin it has become, it finds a way to punch above its weight. However, looking at what would happen to the Senior Service in the early days of a serious fight will worry Jenkins profoundly, especially as the Carrier Strike Group gets ever closer to the missile-haunted Red Sea.
On a more positive note there are some exciting build programs in train for him to oversee, including two new classes of frigates and new nuclear submarines. Uncrewed systems are being developed at a decent rate but the system that allows smaller companies to compete here needs a complete overhaul. Without enough money, he should recognise this as a cheap(er) way to increase lethality and mass.
The role of the Royal Marine Commandos will also need careful handling given the near total disappearance of the ships required to put them ashore in decent numbers. Nothing is safe from the Treasury knife these days but Jenkins will be perfectly placed to ensure this core element of Naval fighting power not just survives but continues to excel.
The General may find himself alone fighting the Navy’s corner in the not too distant future, as the other Service chiefs change over and dark blue uniforms disappear. It’s to be hoped he’s ready for that.
It’s a wonderful privilege to lead what was once the world’s pre-eminent fighting force but the baggage that comes with the job is heavy. In General Gwyn we have a first class leader to steer our ship through this, irrespective of his uniform. He has the best job title in the world but perhaps also the hardest task. I wish him fair winds and following seas: but I fear he may not get them.
Tom Sharpe OBE served for 27 years as a Royal Navy officer, commanding four different warships