{{Short description|Royal Navy Admiral (born 1966)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Admiral |name = Sir Keith Blount |honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|OBE|FRAeS}} |image= Admiral Keith Blount in 2025 (cropped).jpg |image_size= |caption= Blount in 2025 |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1966|06|22|df=yes}} |birth_place= Plymouth, England |death_date= |death_place= |allegiance=United Kingdom |branch= Royal Navy |service_years= 1984–present |rank= Admiral |service_number= C031931J<ref name=cb>{{London Gazette|issue=62150|date=29 December 2017|page=N3|supp=y}}</ref> |unit= |commands= DSACEUR<br />Allied Maritime Command<br />Fleet Air Arm<br />{{HMS|Ocean|L12|6}}<br />{{HMS|Somerset|F82|6}}<br />{{HMS|Anglesey|P277|6}} |battles= Iraq War |awards= Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath<br />Officer of the Order of the British Empire<br />Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) }} Admiral '''Sir Keith Edward Blount''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|OBE|FRAeS}} (born 22 June 1966) is a senior Royal Navy officer and pilot, who from 2023 to 2026 served as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and head of the Fleet Air Arm from 2015 to 2019.<ref name="WW 17">'BLOUNT, Rear Adm. Keith Edward', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U282578 accessed 22 June 2017]</ref><ref name="bio RN">{{cite web|title=Rear Admiral Keith E Blount OBE|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/documents/profiles/blount-keith.pdf|website=Royal Navy|accessdate=22 June 2017}}</ref> He served as Commander Allied Maritime Command, NATO, from 2019 to 2023.
==Early life and education== Blount was born on 22 June 1966 in Plymouth, England. He was educated at Plymstock School, a state secondary school in Plymouth.<ref name="WW 19">{{cite web |title=Blount, Rear Adm. Keith Edward |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-282578 |website=Who's Who 2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |accessdate=3 February 2019 |date=1 December 2018|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U282578 |isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 }}</ref> He completed a Master of Arts degree in Defence Studies from King's College London in 2004.<ref name="WW 19" /><ref name="New">{{cite web |title=New Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm |url=https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/news/new-rear-admiral-fleet-air-arm |website=Fleet Air Arm Officers Association |accessdate=3 February 2019 |date=19 June 2015}}</ref>
==Naval career== [[File:Keith Blount and Sarah Oakley (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Admiral Blount taking the salute at BRNC in 2023]] Blount joined the Royal Navy in 1984, and qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1986.<ref name="WW 19" /> Following training, he served with 826, 810, 771, 705 and 820 Naval Air Squadrons.<ref name="New" /> He was promoted to captain on 1 January 2010,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59329 |date=9 February 2010 |page=2131 |supp= y }}</ref> and his commands have included {{HMS|Ocean|L12|6}}, the Iraqi Maritime Task Group, and the United Kingdom's Maritime Component in Bahrain.<ref name="bio RN" /> He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours.<ref name=":0">{{London Gazette |issue=59808 |date=11 June 2011 |page=4 |supp=y}}</ref> He was promoted to commodore on 27 August 2013.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60629 |date= 17 September 2013 |page=18301 |supp= y }}</ref>
Blount was promoted to rear admiral on 29 May 2015,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=61287 |date= 7 July 2015 |page=12394 |supp= y }}</ref> and served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability and Carriers) and Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm from May 2015 to February 2019.<ref name="bio RN" /> He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2016,<ref name="WW 19" /> and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2018 New Year Honours.<ref name=cb/> He became Commander Allied Maritime Command,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forces.net/news/royal-navy-appoints-new-senior-officers|title=Royal Navy Appoints New Senior Officers|date=18 February 2019|publisher=Forces Network|accessdate=18 February 2019}}</ref> effective 20 May 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mc.nato.int/media-centre/news/2019/nato-maritime-command-changes-leadership.aspx|title=NATO Maritime Command Changes Leadership |date=20 May 2019|publisher=Allied Maritime Command|accessdate=20 May 2019}}</ref> and was promoted to vice admiral on the same day.<ref name="LG 62648">{{London Gazette |issue= 62648 |date= 21 May 2019 |page= 9040 |supp= y }}</ref>
It was announced in November 2022 that Blount would become Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) in July 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Royal Navy Vice Admiral appointed new NATO commander |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/november/18/20221118-royal-navy-vice-admiral-appointed-new-nato-commander |website=www.royalnavy.mod.uk |access-date=18 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of full admiral on 17 July 2023, as he started in the position.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 64124 |date= 25 July 2023 |page= 14742 |supp= y }}</ref> He stepped down in March 2026, and was succeeded by Johnny Stringer as DSACEUR.<ref>{{cite web |title=Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer appointed NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/air-chief-marshal-sir-john-stringer-appointed-nato-deputy-supreme-allied-commander-europe |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=24 January 2026 |language=en |date=22 January 2026}}</ref> When he retires, there will be no active duty admirals in the Royal Navy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Page |first1=Lewis |title=The Royal Navy doesn’t have any admirals. Sadly it won’t last |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/23/royal-navy-admiral-blount-retires-four-star-senior-ranks/ |access-date=24 January 2026 |work=The Telegraph |date=23 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260124211621/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/23/royal-navy-admiral-blount-retires-four-star-senior-ranks/ |archive-date=24 January 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 2007, Blount married Deborah.<ref name="WW 24">{{cite web |title=Blount, Adm. Sir Keith (Edward), (born 22 June 1966), Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, since 2023 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U282578 |website=Who's Who 2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=26 February 2025 |language=en |date=1 December 2023}}</ref> She was a police officer.<ref name="bio DSACEUR">{{cite web |title=Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) |url=https://shape.nato.int/deputy-supreme-allied-commander-europe-dsaceur |website=shape.nato.int |access-date=26 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> Together they have two daughters.<ref name="WW 24" />
== Honours and decorations == Blount has been awarded the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with two clasps.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=62824 |date=12 November 2019 |page=20380 |supp=y}}</ref> While a commodore, Blount was awarded the Legion of Merit in the degree of officer by the President of the United States "in recognition of meritorious, gallant, and distinguished services during coalition operations in the field".<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=62841 |date=29 November 2019 |page=21590 |supp=y}}</ref> Blount was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2018 New Year Honours,<ref name=":1">{{London Gazette |issue= 62150|date= 30 December 2017| page=N3|supp=y}}</ref> and promoted to a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2023 New Year Honours.<ref name=":2">{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N2|date=31 December 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |Ribbon |Description |Notes |- |40x40px |Order of the Bath | * Appointed Companion in 2018<ref name=":1" /> * Appointed Knight Companion in 2023<ref name=":2" /> |- |40x40px |Order of the British Empire | :Appointed Officer in 2011<ref name=":0" /> |- |40x40px |Officer of the Legion of Merit | :Appointed in 2023<ref>{{cite web |title=British Forces Broadcasting Service. |url=https://www.forces.net/services/army/head-uk-armed-forces-honoured-us-legion-merit-highest-distinction-foreign-officers |access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{S-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Russell Harding}} {{s-ttl|title=Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm|years=2015–2019}} {{s-aft|after=Martin Connell}} |- {{s-bef|before=Clive Johnstone}} {{s-ttl|title=Commander Allied Maritime Command|years=2019–2023}} {{s-aft|after=Michael Utley}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Tim Radford}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe|years=2023–2026}} {{s-aft|after=Sir John Stringer}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blount, Keith}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Royal Navy admirals Category:Fleet Air Arm aviators Category:Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Officers of the Legion of Merit Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Iraq War Category:20th-century Royal Navy personnel