Naval Base Commander Devonport

Steve Dearden joined the Royal Navy in 1978 as a University College Entrant straight from school.  Following initial training at Dartmouth and at sea in HMS Hermes, he studied for a three-year BSc in Naval Engineering at the Royal Naval Engineering College at Manadon. 

His first appointment after completing Application Courses and the Nuclear Reactor Course at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich was as an Assistant Marine Engineering Officer in HMS Sovereign. 

Appointments in HMS Turbulent and HMS Triumph were separated by 15 months on the staff of Captain Sea and Shore Training as one of the Sea Riders.  He joined the Second Submarine Squadron in 1996. 

On promotion to Commander in 1996 he was appointed Training Commander in HMS Sultan, with responsibility for Mechanics’ Career training, the Nuclear School and the move of the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology from Greenwich.  In 1999 he joined the Ship Support Agency as Head of the Secondary Propulsion Systems Design Authority. 

In 2001 he was promoted to Captain after a brief period in the Warship Support Agency and returned to the Nuclear Propulsion team as the Head of Nuclear Propulsion Safety.  In 2004 he began a three-year tour in Washington as the first UK Liaison Officer to the US Naval Nuclear Programme, charged with establishing an enduring US/UK Technology exchange in support of the UK’s submarine nuclear propulsion programme and the Successor Deterrent in particular.  He took up the post of Director Nuclear Propulsion on promotion to Commodore in 2008.

In August 2010 he took up his current appointment as Naval Base Commander at Devonport.

Commodore Dearden is married with three children and lives in Bristol.  His interests include DIY, for which he never has any time, and active involvement in most sports from the comfort of an armchair.