Admiral the Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC PC is a Labour Peer in the House of Lords and a former Head of the Royal Navy. Admiral Lord West has spent the majority of his naval career at sea, serving in fourteen different ships and commanding three of them. He commanded the frigate HMS ARDENT in the Falkland Islands where she was sunk in their successful recapture. He served three years as head of Naval Intelligence and three years as Chief of Defence Intelligence covering the Kosovo War. In November 2000 he became Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Nato Commander-in-Chief East Atlantic and Nato Commander Allied Naval Forces North. Lord West served as First Sea Lord from September 2002 until 7 February 2006, covering the invasion of Iraq and widening of Afghanistan operations. As First Sea Lord he was responsible to the Prime Minister for the readiness, efficiency and security of the UK deterrent. In July 2007, he became a government minister responsible for national security and counter-terrorism as well as cyber and Olympic security. He produced the nations first National Security and Cyber Security Strategies. He has been a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee since 2021.