Latest news with #FirstSeaLord
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Revealed: 'Love cheat' Navy chief Sir Ben Key's affair with junior female officer was 'exposed after her husband reported them to the MoD'
An affair involving the suspended head of the Royal Navy and a junior female officer was exposed by her husband, sources have revealed. Admiral Sir Ben Key, 59, was told to 'step back from all duties' last month over claims the married father of three had an affair with a female officer. At the time, allies of the former First Sea Lord claimed the allegation was part of a 'dirty tricks campaign' against Sir Ben following months of fierce in-fighting at the top of the Armed Forces. But now it has emerged the 'consensual' relationship came to light after the officer's non-serving husband filed a complaint with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), The Telegraph reported. It is understood the husband believed Sir Ben should be held accountable to the same standards as those beneath him. He stands accused of breaching regulations barring sexual relations between commanders and those below them in rank, while endangering the marriage of a comrade is also forbidden. A source said: 'The husband was upset, because this is a man who prides himself on his Christian values and how he was raised by missionaries – but was doing this with someone else's wife.' Sir Ben, who was formerly in the running to become the next Chief of the Defence Staff, now faces a misconduct probe. Admiral Sir Ben, pictured with his wife Elly, is the subject of a misconduct probe following a complaint to the Ministry of Defence about the affair It is the first time in the 500-year history of the Navy that its First Sea Lord has come under such scrutiny. Insiders understand that he had attempted to retire 'quietly' once the affair was exposed, but General Dame Sharon Nesmith, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and John Healey, the Defence Secretary, insisted on an investigation. Many female officers particularly are understood to have felt 'let down' by Sir Ben's double standards. The source said: 'The female naval workforce feels shockingly let down by his moral high stance and hypocrisy.' In March, Sir Ben appeared in Parliament to provide oral evidence on the treatment of women in the armed forces and commented on 'unwelcome sexual behaviours'. He told the defence select committee: 'We are absolutely determined to create a Royal Navy in which people are judged for their professional conduct, welcomed for the contribution that they make, and accepted for who they are. 'Behaviours that run counter to that will not be accepted, and particularly those around unwelcome sexual behaviours. 'We have removed people from the service, including those who have commanded, where we have discovered that their behaviours were not appropriate, or we have removed people from positions of responsibility before situations have got out of hand.' In March, Sir Ben appeared in Parliament to provide oral evidence on the treatment of women in the armed forces and commented on 'unwelcome sexual behaviours' Those close to Sir Ben previously told MoS that they were 'shocked' by the news of an affair. A senior Navy source said: 'Across the board he is very popular, very competent and the majority of the naval service are extremely shocked and really sad to see it potentially end like this.' Another insider added: 'He is a stand-up bloke and treats everyone well.' His wife Elly has previously told of the 'burden' being in the Navy can place on family members. Last week Sir Gwyn Jenkins became the first Royal Marine to be appointed as head of the service. An MoD spokesman said it would be inappropriate to comment while the investigation into the matter continues.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
First Sea Lord's ‘affair' exposed after husband filed complaint
The First Sea Lord's alleged affair with a female subordinate was exposed after her husband filed a complaint, The Telegraph can reveal. Last month, Sir Ben Key was forced to step back from all duties over allegations of misconduct, which are under investigation by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It was alleged that, in breach of the Navy's service standards, the 59-year-old was having an affair with a junior ranking staff member. It is understood that the non-serving husband of the female member of staff reported his findings to the Ministry of Defence after he discovered the 'consensual' relationship between Sir Ben and his wife. He felt as though the head of the Navy should be held to the same standards as those below him as Sir Ben has regularly spoken out about poor behaviour of those under his command in the past. A source familiar with the events told The Telegraph: 'The husband was upset, because this is a man who prides himself on his Christian values and how he was raised by missionaries – but was doing this with someone else's wife.' 'Tried to go away quietly' Sir Ben, who is married with three children, had previously announced that he would retire as First Sea Lord this summer, despite being considered a frontrunner to become the next Chief of the Defence Staff. Earlier this week, The Telegraph reported that Air Marshal Sir Richard Knight, currently Chief of the Air Staff, will take over the post in the autumn when Admiral Sir Tony Radakin stands down. It is understood Sir Ben tried to go away 'quietly' when he learnt that his extra-marital affair had been discovered, but that the Chief of the Defence Staff insisted there would be an investigation before his official retirement in order not to be accused of a 'cover-up'. The source added that a number of female officers within the Navy felt they deserved a public apology from Sir Ben over what they deemed to be 'double standards'. 'The female naval workforce feel shockingly let down by his moral high stance and hypocrisy,' the source said. 'Judged for their professional conduct' Earlier this year, during a parliamentary defence select committee discussing women in the Armed Forces, Sir Ben expressed his disapproval of inappropriate relationships within the military. He said: 'We are absolutely determined to create a Royal Navy in which people are judged for their professional conduct, welcomed for the contribution that they make, and accepted for who they are. 'Behaviours that run counter to that will not be accepted, and particularly those around unwelcome sexual behaviours. 'We have removed people from the service, including those who have commanded, where we have discovered that their behaviours were not appropriate, or we have removed people from positions of responsibility before situations have got out of hand.' As a serving member of the military, Sir Ben will probably have fallen foul of the Navy's 'service test', which prohibits relationships between commanders and their subordinates. The military also does not allow behaviour that could harm another serving member's marriage.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- The Sun
Fresh Royal Navy sex scandal as training base dramatically ‘locked down' over revenge porn claims
A ROYAL Navy training base was 'locked down' over revenge porn claims in the latest sex scandal to rock the senior service. Navy chiefs ordered a communication blackout at HMS Raleigh to stop X-rated images of a recruit going viral. Hundreds of rookies — including some as young as 16 and 17 — were ordered to hand in their phones. A message sent to their parents said: 'Welfare calls are being made to under-18s' parents to say that their recruits are OK but the base is on communication blackout due to an ongoing police investigation.' The Navy warned parents that the blackout — known as River City state — could last up to 96 hours. The Sun understood that two recruits at HMS Raleigh, in Torpoint, Cornwall, had been in a relationship prior to joining the Navy. A Navy source told The Sun: 'They had joined in separate intakes and when the young woman enlisted, some time after her former partner, she discovered that intimate pictures had been shared on the base without her consent. "By that point her former partner had already left the Navy. He never completed training. 'Only one person is under investigation. No other recruits are suspected of wrongdoing.' The Royal Navy said: 'The welfare of our recruits is our number one priority and a restriction on the use of mobile phones was in place for a short time. "A civilian police investigation is ongoing.' The incident comes days after the Navy's most senior officer, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key, was suspended over an alleged affair, and the captain of warship HMS Tyne, Lt Cdr Martyn Mayger, was stripped of command amid claims of 'unacceptable sexual behaviour'.
Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
As a Navy man, I welcome the first ever Marine to head the Service. But I don't envy him
So now we have a new First Sea Lord – the head of the Royal Navy, also known as the Chief of the Naval Staff. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins will be the 43rd person to assume this position since the title changed from First Naval Lord in 1904. He is also the first Royal Marine to get the job, and therefore the first one who has not commanded a warship. For those stuck in 1904 this will be a problem. Most, me included, see a highly capable officer with a breadth of combat experience that would leave most warship captains, me included, in the dust. Historically, in any case, it's only fair to let a Marine command the RN. Back in Napoleonic times the Royal Marines were broken up into small parties carried as part of a warship's crew and under the command of the ship's captain. To add insult to injury, on paper the parties were assembled into larger formations requiring colonels and generals to command them. Though these colonels and generals were not normally required to do any duty their salaries were still paid, usually as a lucrative perk given to serving naval officers on top of their regular pay. Uniform and history aside, Jenkins has got one hell of a job to do. The unfortunate departure of his predecessor will be a mere pinprick given the mountain he now has to climb. He is taking over a 30,000-person company that has been under-resourced for the last three decades and which attracts disproportionate attention when things go wrong. Threats to the UK and our interests are climbing fast; evidence that resources will increase to match this is not. This creates a political minefield that will take all his special forces training to navigate – and that's before we even get to the risk to our ships and people due to lack of funds. Given that he has been the victim of one leak campaign already, and is the subject of an ongoing investigation, he at least will not need to be reminded that he takes over during an unusually vicious period of inter-service rivalry. With the powers of the next Chief of Defence Staff set to increase under the new strategic headquarters construct, he will be keen to set about managing that relationship so he can lead the navy 'up and out'. The Royal Navy's reputation as a fighting force at sea remains good, as it should. No matter how thin it has become, it finds a way to punch above its weight. However, looking at what would happen to the Senior Service in the early days of a serious fight will worry Jenkins profoundly, especially as the Carrier Strike Group gets ever closer to the missile-haunted Red Sea. On a more positive note there are some exciting build programs in train for him to oversee, including two new classes of frigates and new nuclear submarines. Uncrewed systems are being developed at a decent rate but the system that allows smaller companies to compete here needs a complete overhaul. Without enough money, he should recognise this as a cheap(er) way to increase lethality and mass. The role of the Royal Marine Commandos will also need careful handling given the near total disappearance of the ships required to put them ashore in decent numbers. Nothing is safe from the Treasury knife these days but Jenkins will be perfectly placed to ensure this core element of Naval fighting power not just survives but continues to excel. The General may find himself alone fighting the Navy's corner in the not too distant future, as the other Service chiefs change over and dark blue uniforms disappear. It's to be hoped he's ready for that. It's a wonderful privilege to lead what was once the world's pre-eminent fighting force but the baggage that comes with the job is heavy. In General Gwyn we have a first class leader to steer our ship through this, irrespective of his uniform. He has the best job title in the world but perhaps also the hardest task. I wish him fair winds and following seas: but I fear he may not get them.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Picking a Marine to run Navy shows China that Britain is serious about amphibious warfare
The appointment of Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, a Royal Marines officer, as head of the Royal Navy is a massive vote of confidence in the 'Future Commando Force' concept by the Prime Minister and Ministry of Defence (MoD) The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, to give Gen Sir Gwyn his full title, is responsible for commanding the 'dark blue' part of the Navy – the ships, submarines and aircraft that project Britain's global maritime power (which has admittedly been eroded by decades of underfunding). But he also commands the 6,000 or so Royal Marines who are expected to storm enemy beaches once safely delivered to combat zones by their sister organisation. The problem in recent years has been twofold. First, that phrase, 'safely delivered'. With modern anti-ship missiles able to reach hundreds of miles out to sea and ubiquitous surveillance from satellites and drones, just getting to the fight has been seen in recent years as a huge problem, one which has focused the minds of those in the Ministry of Defence who wear Royal Navy uniforms. The second problem causing some angst to Britain's naval planners – and particularly those from the Royal Marines – has been how to fight in territory held (or dominated) by an enemy force, even if our own troops can make it safely to the shore. Future Commando Force concept These two issues have led to the development of the Future Commando Force concept: an amphibious group able to defend itself at sea, project force onto land and take the fight to the enemy once ashore. Finding a way to do this effectively in the face of fearsome (mainly Chinese) capabilities that can render such an outfit irrelevant has taken considerable teamwork from both sides of the Navy. Gen Sir Gwyn is seen as the perfect champion to lead this work, having a foot in both camps and a deep understanding of the capabilities of each in the face of a challenge that is worsening daily. Senior Royal Navy officers have already told The Telegraph that Gen Sir Gwyn's appointment is a positive endorsement of the Future Commando Force concept. It marks a significant uptick in the fortunes of the Royal Marines. With the UK re-focused on global conflict after the expeditionary years in Iraq and Afghanistan, some analysts had cautioned that the days of amphibious forces were over. Power projection, they argued, would come from the air, through long-range precision missiles and drones knocking out enemy defences. Regular infantry from the Army could then be dropped off by friendly naval ships to march into the newly-acquired territory. What would the point be of expensive specialised amphibious troops such as the Royal Marines, if the concept of surviving, let alone fighting one's way into such an environment had been rendered irrelevant by technology? To accept that maxim, however, would be an act of self-deterrence and an endorsement of one of the key theories of Sun Tzu as he wrote in The Art of War. The ancient Chinese philosopher theorised that the supreme art of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting. He advocated achieving victory through strategic manoeuvring, diplomacy and the display of military might to make an enemy force decide it was not worth fighting in the first place. The Future Commando Force has looked at this problem and decided against self-deterrence. It is believed that small, aggressive groups, highly supported by technology such as secure communications, drones and radars, and operating in concert when required can get inside an area dominated by an enemy force (under the somewhat clunkily titled Anti-Access/Area Denial, or A2AD, umbrella) and project sufficient power to hold on until heavier forces arrive. Such a force does not come cheap, however, and will require some reorganisation not just of the Navy and Marines, but also Britain's Army, which would be required to offer supporting functions. Cash and the desire for more tinkering with the organisation chart are currently in short supply. However, it is an idea very much in line with current thinking in the US Marine Corps (if not totally bought-into yet by the wider US Navy), the cousins alongside whom Britain's commando forces, based around a core of Royal Marines, might have to fight if China decided to test Taiwan's defences and the world's appetite to reject military conquest. Britain's maritime planners – both Navy and Marine – hope the 'Future' part of the concept will be jettisoned in the Government's long-delayed Strategic Defence Review, currently inching tortuously towards publication this summer. The endorsement of the Prime Minister, through the appointment of Gen Sir Gwyn, suggests that is a likely scenario. The US, and China, will have taken note.
