Educated at Southampton University, Jerry Kyd joined the Royal Navy in 1985 as a Seaman Officer. After Fleet training, his early years were spent at sea as a Bridge watchkeeper, Navigator and a Principal Warfare Officer in various ships from patrol vessels to aircraft carriers with operational deployments to the Gulf, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Caribbean, Baltic, Indian Ocean and wider Atlantic. In addition to qualifying as a Gunnery Officer, he also completed the Specialist Navigator’s course in 1999.
Commands at various ranks have included the Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth, the strike carrier HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious in the commando carrier role, and the on-call United Kingdom Task Group, which included a Cougar deployment to the Gulf. He has also had the privilege of being the Captain of Britannia Royal Naval College, where all Naval officers complete their initial military and leadership training. He assumed the role of Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group in 2015 before taking command of HMS Queen Elizabeth in May 2016. Promoted Rear Admiral in November 2018, he was appointed as Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces and Rear Admiral Surface Ships.
Shore appointments have centred on the Ministry of Defence in London, including two years as the Military Assistant and Deputy Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff, the Deputy Head of the Directorate of Operational Capability and as a desk officer for the Future Surface Combatant project (now Type 26 frigate). He has also instructed at the Maritime Warfare School, HMS Collingwood.
Now promoted Vice Admiral, he was appointed Fleet Commander in March 2019, responsible for commanding all operational elements of the Naval Service (Ships, Submarines, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary), and acting as Joint Commander for the North Atlantic operating areas.
Jerry Kyd, a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, lives on the banks of the River Hamble on the south coast of England with his wife and four sons. He enjoys shooting, all manner of winter sports including alpine skiing, and is Vice President of Ice Sports for the Naval Service.
