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CNO Speaks with UK's First Sea Lord, Royal Navy Adm. Ben Key, on Key's 1st Day in Office

08 November 2021

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday spoke with Royal Navy Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Nov. 8, to reaffirm the special relationship between the two navies and discuss areas for continued collaboration and cooperation.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday, left, speaks with Royal Navy Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom.
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday, left, speaks with Royal Navy Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom.
WASHINGTON (Nov. 8, 2021) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday speaks with Royal Navy Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom. The teleconference took place on Adm. Key’s initial day as First Sea Lord. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Castellano/Released)

 

WASHINGTON - Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday spoke with Royal Navy Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Nov. 8, to reaffirm the special relationship between the two navies and discuss areas for continued collaboration and cooperation. 


Gilday spoke with Key on his first day in office as First Sea Lord.


“I want congratulate Admiral Key on his appointment as First Sea Lord and I am excited to work closely with him,” said Gilday.  “Our navies enjoy a long tradition of sailing together from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific and we work tirelessly and interchangeably to keep the maritime commons open and free. No doubt, our alliance is an anchor of peace and stability across the globe.”


Key echoed Gilday’s sentiment. 


“I was delighted to be able to speak to Adm. Mike Gilday, the Chief of Naval Operations, on the very day I took the helm as First Sea Lord,” he said. “The bonds between our two navies are deep and historic and I am determined to see they go from strength to strength. Having recently served as Chief of Joint Operations, I have seen how closely we operate around the globe with our American cousins. From USS The Sullivans being an integral part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group on her recent deployment to the Pacific, to our combined operations in the Atlantic in support of NATO, both our nations are benefitting from this outstanding strategic partnership with our shared endeavour to make the world a safer place.”


The U.S. and Royal Navy operate together around the globe regularly. Most recently, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) took part in a six-month deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) with HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08). Both navies also conducted multilateral naval training with Australia and Japan during Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) 2021 in October. 

 

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