Admiral Sir Keith Blount: Who is Nato's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe?

Admiral Sir Keith Blount is a senior Royal Navy officer and pilot who has served as Nato's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (Dsaceur) since July 2023.

He is the guest on the very first live edition of the Sitrep podcast which gets underway on Tuesday at 1pm BST.

Ahead of this, BFBS Forces News has taken a look at his impressive military career which has included being Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability, and Carriers) and head of the Fleet Air Arm.

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Before his current role, Admiral Sir Keith was Nato's Commander of Allied Maritime Command, from 2019 to 2023.

Here's a look at his career:

Naval career

Admiral Sir Keith's career in the Royal Navy spans nearly four decades, beginning when he joined in 1984 as a helicopter pilot.

Before becoming the Dsaceur, Adm Sir Keith was the Commander of Nato's Allied Maritime Command. In this role, he acted as Nato's principal maritime adviser and has operational command of Nato's Standing Naval Forces.

Early aviation experience

Admiral Sir Keith received his wings in 1986, becoming a frontline aviator at just 20-years-old.

Throughout his varied flying career, he qualified as an instructor and served in the Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team.

Commanding leadership

Adm Sir Keith has combined his aviation skills with significant command experience, having commanded three warships, including the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean.

He has participated in Nato Task Groups during operations such as Sharpguard and Active Endeavour.

He served as the Iraqi Maritime Task Group Commander during Operation Telic and more recently held the position of the United Kingdom's Maritime Component Commander based in Bahrain, overseeing operations in Syria and Iraq.

Strategic roles, awards and education

Adm Sir Keith has also held several influential staff appointments, including three periods in the Ministry of Defence, and two years as Military Assistant to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.

He holds a Master of Arts degree in Defence Studies from King's College London and has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Plymouth.

His contributions to military operations have not gone unnoticed; he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2012 and received an operational Legion of Merit from the President of the United States in 2016.

In 2018, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Between 2015 and 2019, Admiral Sir Keith was the head of the Fleet Air Arm, responsible for the delivery and programme management of the two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

His prior experience as Chief of Staff to the European Union Naval Force and Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces paved the way for his appointment as the Commander of Nato's Maritime Command in May 2019.