title: Mike Utley (Royal Navy officer)
text: # Mike Utley (Royal Navy officer)
  
  Vice Admiral Michael Keith Utley, CB, OBE is a senior Royal Navy officer who currently serves as Commander Allied Maritime Command, NATO, since January 2023.
  
  ## Naval career
  
  Educated at Cowbridge School, Utley joined the Royal Navy in October 1990. He became the commanding officer of the patrol ship HMS Exploit in 1995, of the patrol ship HMS Leeds Castle in 2003, and of the patrol ship HMS Tyne in 2004, before becoming commanding officer of the frigate HMS Portland in 2006, with promotion to commander on 30 June 2006. He went on to become Commander Sea Training in 2010, before being appointed the last commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in May 2013 and in that role was deployed to provide humanitarian aid in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November 2013.
  
  Utley became commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in June 2017, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group in October 2018, and Commander United Kingdom Strike Force in December 2019. He was promoted to vice-admiral on 13 January 2023, and assumed command of NATO's Allied Maritime Command the same month.
  
  Utley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in the 2015 Special Honours, and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2020 Birthday Honours.
  
  