Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder KBE CB

Biography

Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder assumed the role of UK Military Representative to NATO and the European Union on 31 May 2013.

Educated at Rugby School and Peterhouse, Cambridge (Pure Mathematics), he joined the Royal Navy in 1978, volunteered for submarines and spent his early career in the SSN force as an operations and navigation specialist. His command appointments have included serving as Executive Officer of HMS SCEPTRE (SSN) and as the Commanding Officer of HMS ORACLE (SSK), HMS SPLENDID (SSN(TLAM)), and the frigate HMS CUMBERLAND. In the latter he participated in both Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and maritime sanctions against Iraq in the immediate lead up to the second Gulf conflict.

As a Commodore, he served for 18 months as the Chief of the Strategic Systems Executive and two years as Director of Naval Personnel Strategy. As the former he was responsible for the delivery of the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent and as the UK project officer for the UK/US Polaris Sales agreement. In the latter role he had responsibility for formulation of HR policy for the whole Naval Service.

Promoted to Rear Admiral, he was appointed as Deputy Commander Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) and Commander STRIKFORNATO Maritime Forces during which, inter alia, he served as the Maritime Component Commander for the NATO Response Force. Immediately prior to taking up his appointment as UK MILREP, he served as Commander (Operations) for the Royal Navy, NATO’s Submarine Force Commander and the head of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service. During this appointment he acted as the Maritime Component Commander for operations in Libya in 2011 and for the London Olympic Games in 2012. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2013.