Martin Connell (Royal Navy officer)

Vice Admiral

Sir Martin Connell

KCB CBE
Admiral Connell in 2022
Born (1968-12-18) 18 December 1968
Rotherham, Yorkshire, UK[1]
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Navy
Years of service1987–present
RankVice Admiral
Service numberC034297Q[2]
CommandsActing First Sea Lord
Second Sea Lord
Fleet Air Arm
Amphibious Task Group
HMS Illustrious
HMS Chatham
HMS Severn
Battles / warsGulf War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Vice Admiral Sir Martin John Connell, KCB, CBE (born 18 December 1968) is a senior Royal Navy officer, serving as Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff since 2022.[3]

Connell was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1987 as a Lynx Observer. He became a Qualified Observer Instructor (QOI) at 702 Naval Air Squadron and then a Flight Commander on HMS Coventry and HMS Manchester, before instructing observers at 815 Naval Air Squadron.[4] He was given command of the offshore patrol vessel HMS Severn in 2003.[5] As the commanding officer of HMS Chatham, Connell led maritime operations in support of Operation Telic;[5] his frigate became known for successfully protecting Iraqi offshore oil platforms, anti-piracy actions in the Arabian Sea and for interdicting a large shipment of illegal drugs.[6]

Promoted to captain on 5 September 2011,[7] Connell took command of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in 2012.[5] He was promoted to Commodore on 10 February 2015,[8] appointed Commander Amphibious Task Group later that year, and then made naval attaché to Washington D.C. in 2016.[9] Connell next served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) and head of the Fleet Air Arm from 2019,[10] and then as Director Force Generation under the Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Andrew Burns, being succeeded by Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse on 14 January 2022 upon his appointment as Second Sea Lord in succession to Vice Admiral Sir Nick Hine.[11][12][13]

As Second Sea Lord, Connell is responsible for delivering the Royal Navy’s future capabilities, including SSN-AUKUS submarines.[14][15] Connell is reported to be an advocate for increasing the UK's shipbuilding, surface vehicles and subsurface, crewed and un-crewed, prioritising "offensive strike capability over all else."[16]

A graduate of the United States Naval War College, where he took the Naval Command College Course in 2004/05 (being elected International Fellow),[17] Connell completed the Higher Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham in 2011, the United States National Defense University CAPSTONE Course in 2017,[18] and UK Pinnacle at the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2021.[18]

Connell was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours,[19] and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2025 New Year Honours,[20] and has received the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with one clasp.[2]

Admitted in 2012 as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, Connell is also a Younger Brother of Trinity House.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Fleet Air Arm". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "No. 62445". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 October 2018. pp. 19008–19010.
  3. ^ "Royal Navy announces new Second Sea Lord". Royal Navy. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Martin Connell – Royal Navy Biography" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b c "Commodore Martin Connell" (PDF). Royal Navy. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  6. ^ "HMS Chatham returns home from drug busting patrol. | Just Plymouth". www.justplymouth.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  7. ^ "No. 59912". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 September 2011. p. 17957.
  8. ^ "No. 61144". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 February 2015. p. 2726.
  9. ^ "Senior Royal Navy appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Royal Navy Appoints New Senior Officers". Forces Network. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. ^ "A real privilege to assume the role of Director Force Generation for the Royal Navy. I have the telescope!!".
  12. ^ "Royal Navy announces new Second Sea Lord". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. 5 January 2022.
  13. ^ "New Second Sea Lord officially welcomed to role". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  14. ^ West, Lisa (22 May 2024). "Royal Navy needs to 'adapt faster' Second Sea Lord says". Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  15. ^ Magnuson, Stew (4 August 2024). "SAS News: AUKUS Sub Design Already 'Mature,' Senior Leader Says". www.nationaldefensemagazine.org. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ Scott, Richard (22 May 2024). "Second Sea Lord wants new 'technological ecosystem' for 21st century Royal Navy". Naval News. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  17. ^ Varas, Ricardo (25 October 2022). "Second Sea Lord of the British Navy, Vice Admiral Martin Connell, will present at the Exponaval International Congress: "The implications of being a maritime power"". ExpoNaval 2024 – www.exponaval.cl. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Vice Admiral Martin Connell CBE". S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. 2022.
  19. ^ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N6.
  20. ^ "No. 64607". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2024. p. N2.
  21. ^ "Younger Brethren". Trinity House. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
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