Rear Admiral John Weale was officially appointed as Scotland’s senior naval officer at a ceremony in the Faslane base last week.
As well as taking up his post as Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI), Rear Admiral Weale also assumes command as Assistant Chief of Staff Submarines.
The Glasgow-born Admiral will liaise at the top level with the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly on all naval issues.
He is also responsible for the capability and development of the navy’s submarine fleet, which by 2023 will be based at HM Naval Base Clyde as it continues a huge programme of infrastructure and capability development to establish a submarine centre of specialisation on the Clyde.
He took over the role of FOSNI from Rear Admiral John Clink, who is moving to a new role as Flag Officer Sea Training.
To mark the occasion, more than 100 submariners from the Faslane Flotilla performed Divisions, a long-standing tradition in the Royal Navy which is designed to demonstrate drill and instills discipline, obedience, smart appearance and confidence, and is often seen at ceremonial occasions.
Rear Admiral Weale said: “In addition to my role as FOSNI, my primary objective is to safeguard the operational output of the UK’s Submarine Service and uphold its traditions, pride and ethos.
“The UK government is investing in the future of the Submarine Service in building and delivering the Astute Class and is committed to the development of a new nuclear deterrent class submarine.”
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