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Commodore Andy Perks MBE
Deputy Director Underwater Battlespace Capability, Develop Directorate,
Royal Navy
United Kingdom
As Deputy Director UWB Capability within Navy Develop, Andy Perks is the through-life capability sponsor for the Navy’s UWB capabilities across Geo-intelligence, Mine Warfare and EOD, Anti-Submarine Warfare (including underwater weapons), Seabed Warfare, and Underwater Autonomous Systems. He also has an important role in cohering UWB capability planning across UK Defence, as the Chief of Staff to DCDS(MILCAP)’s 2-star UWB Capability Management Group, as well as being the UK lead for numerous non-nuclear UWB international programmes and initiatives. He is the Senior Responsible Owner of VCDS’ ASW Spearhead programme and early-stage Navy UWB programmes.
Andy joined the Royal Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer in November 2003, after reading an Engineering Masters at Liverpool University and travelling around Australia and Asia for two years. Awarded the College Sword on passing out from Britannia Royal Naval College, subsequent warfare and submarine training culminated in him gaining his dolphins in HMS TRENCHANT in 2006. After back-to-back deployments to the West Atlantic and Mediterranean, he transferred to the Weapon Engineering branch and quickly returned to TRENCHANT as the Deputy Weapon Engineer Officer, undertaking successful deployments in the Middle East as the UK’s Tomahawk-ready SSN. He then spent two years in Naval Intelligence within the NSTP30 team, deploying as the lead acoustic intelligence technical sea rider in submarines conducting intelligence-gathering operations. In this capacity, he supported five operational patrols within an 18-month period in all active submarine theatres of operation.
Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2012, Andy returned to sea as the Weapon Engineer Officer in HMS TORBAY; generating the platform from very deep maintenance to high-tempo operations in the Mediterranean and Middle East. He then spent 18 months as a FOST sea trainer, training crews in all classes of RN submarines. Promoted to Commander in 2016, he attended Advanced Command and Staff Course 20 at the UK Defence Academy. On completion, he spent three years in the Submarine Delivery Agency. Initially, as the Deputy Team Leader of Submarine Combat Systems Delivery Team, he designed and implemented a far-reaching transformation programme in 18 months, for which he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List in 2020. He then spent six months working on the CEO’s staff. Promoted to Captain in 2020, he assumed the position of Head of UWB Capability before being promoted to Commodore in January 2022 and assuming the role of Deputy Director UWB Capability.
Andy recently completed a Cranfield University Executive MBA and is an alumnus of Windsor Leadership, a Chartered Engineer, and a Chartered Manager.
Andy joined the Royal Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer in November 2003, after reading an Engineering Masters at Liverpool University and travelling around Australia and Asia for two years. Awarded the College Sword on passing out from Britannia Royal Naval College, subsequent warfare and submarine training culminated in him gaining his dolphins in HMS TRENCHANT in 2006. After back-to-back deployments to the West Atlantic and Mediterranean, he transferred to the Weapon Engineering branch and quickly returned to TRENCHANT as the Deputy Weapon Engineer Officer, undertaking successful deployments in the Middle East as the UK’s Tomahawk-ready SSN. He then spent two years in Naval Intelligence within the NSTP30 team, deploying as the lead acoustic intelligence technical sea rider in submarines conducting intelligence-gathering operations. In this capacity, he supported five operational patrols within an 18-month period in all active submarine theatres of operation.
Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2012, Andy returned to sea as the Weapon Engineer Officer in HMS TORBAY; generating the platform from very deep maintenance to high-tempo operations in the Mediterranean and Middle East. He then spent 18 months as a FOST sea trainer, training crews in all classes of RN submarines. Promoted to Commander in 2016, he attended Advanced Command and Staff Course 20 at the UK Defence Academy. On completion, he spent three years in the Submarine Delivery Agency. Initially, as the Deputy Team Leader of Submarine Combat Systems Delivery Team, he designed and implemented a far-reaching transformation programme in 18 months, for which he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List in 2020. He then spent six months working on the CEO’s staff. Promoted to Captain in 2020, he assumed the position of Head of UWB Capability before being promoted to Commodore in January 2022 and assuming the role of Deputy Director UWB Capability.
Andy recently completed a Cranfield University Executive MBA and is an alumnus of Windsor Leadership, a Chartered Engineer, and a Chartered Manager.
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