AdmiralSir John Cunningham Kirkwood Slater, GCB,LVO,DL (born 27 March 1938), known as Jock Slater, is a retired Royal Navy officer. He commanded a minesweeper, a frigate and then a destroyer before taking over the aircraft carrierHMS Illustrious and then achieving higher command in the Navy. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1995 to 1998: in that capacity he played a key role in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review carried out by the Labour Government that had come to power a year earlier.
Slater became an Equerry to the Queen on 12 October 1968[5] and, having been promoted to lieutenant commander on 22 October 1968,[6] his services were recognised when he was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order on 15 October 1971.[7] Following promotion to commander on 31 December 1971,[8] he was given command of the frigate HMS Jupiter in 1972.[1] He was posted to the Directorate of Naval Operations at the Ministry of Defence in 1973 and, following promotion to captain on 30 June 1976,[9] he was given command of the destroyer HMS Kent in August of that year.[1] He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1978 and then became assistant director of Naval Warfare at the Ministry of Defence in 1979.[1] He went on to become the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in May 1981 and then became Captain at the School of Maritime Operations and Commander of HMS Dryad in July 1983.[1]
Slater was appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in July 1995.[1] In that capacity he played a key role in the Strategic Defence Review carried out by the incoming Labour Government.[14] He retired in December 1998.[15]