Nigel Essenhigh

Sir Nigel Essenhigh
Sir Nigel Essenhigh
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Deputy Lieutenant of Devon

.

Naval career

The destroyer HMS *Exeter* which Essenhigh commanded during the Gulf War

Essenhigh was born in

Flag Officer Sea Training.^[4] Promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 May 1975,^[5] he was posted to the destroyer HMS Glasgow in 1978.^[4]

After his promotion to commander on 31 December 1980,^[6] Essenhigh joined the Ministry of Defence for duty with Naval Manpower Training: he worked on the 1981 Defence Review.^[4] He took command of the Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham in 1982^[7] and saw service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and West Indies.^[4] His next post was on board HMS Ark Royal during its construction in 1984.^[4] Promoted to captain on 31 December 1985,^[8] he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1986 and then returned to the Ministry of Defence to be Assistant Director (Weapons and Ships) in the Naval Plans Department in 1987.^[4] He took command of another Type 42 destroyer, HMS Exeter, in April 1989,^[9] and saw operational service during the Gulf War.^[10]

Essenhigh attended the Higher Command and Staff Course at the

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1999 Birthday Honours.^[13]

In January 2001 he became

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 2002 Birthday Honours^[15] and retired on 3 December 2002.^[16]

Later career

In retirement Essenhigh became an advisor to

Deputy Lieutenant of Devon.^[19] His wife Susie is sponsor of the frigate HMS St Albans.^[20]

As essayist

On 13 June 2015, after the previous month's general elections, and together with Admiral of the Fleet Lord Boyce, Field Marshal Lord Walker and Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, he painted the UK Armed Forces as "feeble" and said "We are appeasing our enemies and making the same mistakes as in the 1930s during the rise of Nazism." He characterised the status quo as "parlous", argued for a review that would be "policy-led" as opposed to "resource-driven" and closed with an appeal for a review that "must demonstrate to potential enemies that Britain continues to be a country that will not be coerced into submission through military weakness when diplomacy fails in the future, as it did in the Thirties."^[21] The essay garnered at least two responses:

A journalistic report that restated Essenhigh's case, and noted that the Chancellor sought sweeping cuts, while Squire added that "Russia must now be the number one and major threat. What is going on in Eastern Europe, in Ukraine and so forth, could spill over into a major conflict" and Boyce reiterated that "Putin is behaving in a very aggressive and expansionist way and the Government does not seem to take it seriously because it is inconvenient to have to do something about it."^[22]
A direct response from Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon, that "Our Armed Forces are anything but 'feeble'". Fallon reiterated the government position that the international aid for law enforcement and women's rights budget should also be taken into account, as he said that "Those who belittle our Armed Forces’ efforts fail to recognise that our national security depends on tackling the causes of instability, not just treating the symptoms."^[23]

References

^ "Old Boys". St. Cuthbert's School. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "No. 43666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1965. p. 5362.
^ "No. 44296". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 April 1967. p. 4579.
^
ISBN 1 870 520 19 X

^ "No. 46557". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 April 1975. p. 5513.
^ "No. 48490". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 January 1981. p. 459.
^ "Royal Navy traditions die hard". ABC. 8 July 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "No. 50398". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 January 1986. p. 551.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Royal Navy Senior Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "No. 52589". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1991. p. 47.
^ "Ministry of Defence and Tri-service Senior Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Northrop Grumman Appoints Sir Nigel Essenhigh as Chief Executive for Defence and Civil IT, and C4ISTAR Business in Europe". Northrop Grumman. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "No. 55513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1999. p. 2.
^ "Britain signs up for new supersonic fighter in £1bn deal with Pentagon". 18 January 2001. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "No. 56595". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2002. p. 2.
^ "No. 56777". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 December 2002. p. 14983.
^ "Sir Nigel Essenhigh GCB". Babcock International. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "Sponsors". Journey South 2007. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "Appointments". Lord-Lieutenant of Devon. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "Finally St Albans". Worshipful Company of Marketors. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
^ "Our defence cuts leave us looking feeble in the eyes of the world". The Daily Telegraph. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
^ "Defence chiefs: UK 'feeble' on world stage". The Daily Telegraph. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
^ "Michael Fallon: Our Armed Forces are anything but 'feeble'". The Daily Telegraph. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Michael Boyce	Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1998–2000	Succeeded by Sir Alan West
Preceded by Sir Michael Boyce	First Sea Lord 2001–2002	Succeeded by Sir Alan West

[1] "Old Boys". St. Cuthbert's School. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[2] "No. 43666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1965. p. 5362.

[3] "No. 44296". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 April 1967. p. 4579.

[debrett-4] 
ISBN 1 870 520 19 X

[5] "No. 46557". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 April 1975. p. 5513.

[6] "No. 48490". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 January 1981. p. 459.

[7] "Royal Navy traditions die hard". ABC. 8 July 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[8] "No. 50398". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 January 1986. p. 551.

[appoints-9] "Royal Navy Senior Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[10] "No. 52589". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1991. p. 47.

[11] "Ministry of Defence and Tri-service Senior Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[northrop-12] "Northrop Grumman Appoints Sir Nigel Essenhigh as Chief Executive for Defence and Civil IT, and C4ISTAR Business in Europe". Northrop Grumman. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[13] "No. 55513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1999. p. 2.

[14] "Britain signs up for new supersonic fighter in £1bn deal with Pentagon". 18 January 2001. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[15] "No. 56595". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2002. p. 2.

[16] "No. 56777". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 December 2002. p. 14983.

[17] "Sir Nigel Essenhigh GCB". Babcock International. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[18] "Sponsors". Journey South 2007. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[19] "Appointments". Lord-Lieutenant of Devon. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[20] "Finally St Albans". Worshipful Company of Marketors. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[21] "Our defence cuts leave us looking feeble in the eyes of the world". The Daily Telegraph. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.

[22] "Defence chiefs: UK 'feeble' on world stage". The Daily Telegraph. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.

[23] "Michael Fallon: Our Armed Forces are anything but 'feeble'". The Daily Telegraph. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.

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First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
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