Sir Keith Blount
Vice Admiral Blount in 2021
Born (1966-06-22) 22 June 1966 (age 57)
Plymouth, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1984–present
RankAdmiral
Service numberC031931J[1]
Commands heldAllied Maritime Command
Fleet Air Arm
HMS Ocean
HMS Somerset
HMS Anglesey
Battles/warsIraq War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)

Admiral Sir Keith Edward Blount, KCB, OBE, FRAeS (born 22 June 1966) is a senior Royal Navy officer and pilot, who since July 2023 serves as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and head of the Fleet Air Arm from 2015 to 2019.[2][3] He served as Commander Allied Maritime Command, NATO, from 2019 to 2023.

Early life and education

Blount was born on 22 June 1966 in Plymouth, England. He was educated at Plymstock School, a state secondary school in Plymouth.[4] He completed a Master of Arts degree in Defence Studies from King's College London in 2004.[4][5]

Naval career

Blount with John W. Miller and Philip Jones in 2014

Blount joined the Royal Navy in 1984, and qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1986.[4] Following training, he served with 826, 810, 771, 705 and 820 Naval Air Squadrons.[5] He was promoted to captain on 1 January 2010,[6] and his commands have included HMS Ocean, the Iraqi Maritime Task Group, and the United Kingdom's Maritime Component in Bahrain.[3] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours.[7] He was promoted to commodore on 27 August 2013.[8]

Blount was promoted to rear admiral on 29 May 2015,[9] and served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm from May 2015 to February 2019.[3] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2016,[4] and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2018 New Year Honours.[1] He became Commander Allied Maritime Command,[10] effective 20 May 2019,[11] and was promoted to vice admiral on the same day.[12]

It was announced in November 2022 that Blount would become Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe in July 2023.[13] He was promoted to the rank of full admiral on 17 July 2023, as he started in the position.[14]

Blount has been awarded the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with two clasps.[15] While a commodore, Blount was awarded the Legion of Merit in the degree of officer by the President of the United States "in recognition of meritorious, gallant, and distinguished services during coalition operations in the field".[16] Blount was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2018 New Year Honours,[17] and promoted to a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2023 New Year Honours.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2017. p. N3.
  2. ^ 'BLOUNT, Rear Adm. Keith Edward', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 22 June 2017
  3. ^ a b c "Rear Admiral Keith E Blount OBE" (PDF). Royal Navy. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Blount, Rear Adm. Keith Edward". Who's Who 2019. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U282578. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. ^ a b "New Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm". Fleet Air Arm Officers Association. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. ^ "No. 59329". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 February 2010. p. 2131.
  7. ^ "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 4.
  8. ^ "No. 60629". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 September 2013. p. 18301.
  9. ^ "No. 61287". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 July 2015. p. 12394.
  10. ^ "Royal Navy Appoints New Senior Officers". Forces Network. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. ^ "NATO Maritime Command Changes Leadership". Allied Maritime Command. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  12. ^ "No. 62648". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 May 2019. p. 9040.
  13. ^ "Royal Navy Vice Admiral appointed new NATO commander". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  14. ^ "No. 64124". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 July 2023. p. 14742.
  15. ^ "No. 62824". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 November 2019. p. 20380.
  16. ^ "No. 62841". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 November 2019. p. 21590.
  17. ^ "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2017. p. N3.
  18. ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N2.
Military offices Preceded byRussell Harding Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm 2015–2019 Succeeded byMartin Connell Preceded byClive Johnstone Commander Allied Maritime Command 2019–2023 Succeeded byMichael Utley Preceded bySir Tim Radford Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2023–present Incumbent
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