Admiral Sir John Cunningham Kirkwood Slater, (born 27 March 1938), known as Jock Slater, is a retired Royal Navy officer. He commanded a minesweeper, a frigate and then a destroyer before taking over the aircraft carrier and then achieving higher command in the Navy. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1995 to 1998: in that capacity he played a key role in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review carried out by the Labour Government that had come to power a year earlier.

Early life

Slater was the son of James Kirkwood Slater and Margaret Claire Byrom Bramwell, daughter of Dr Edwin Bramwell.

Slater was educated in his early years at the Edinburgh Academy before attending Sedbergh School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

Slater joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1956 and was confirmed in the rank of sub lieutenant on 1 January 1959. During his early career he served in the destroyer , the minesweeper , the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia and the destroyer . before specialising in navigation. and, having been promoted to lieutenant commander on 22 October 1968, his services were recognised when he was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order on 15 October 1971. Following promotion to commander on 31 December 1971, he was given command of the frigate in 1972. he was given command of the destroyer in August of that year. on appointment as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy and Nuclear), and then promoted to vice admiral on 20 October 1987, on appointment as Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as NATO Commander Northern Sub-Area Eastern Atlantic, NATO Commander Nore Sub-Area Channel and Commander HM Naval Base Rosyth. he went on to be Chief of Fleet Support in March 1989. he became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in January 1993. He retired in December 1998.

Later career

In retirement Slater has served as a Non-Executive Director of VT Group and of Lockheed Martin UK. an Elder Brother of Trinity House, a Prime Warden of the Shipwrights' Company, and a Freeman of the City of London.