We are Land, Sea and Air.

Military experience

Commander Phillips was born in Australia, but educated at Brentwood School, Essex, and Birmingham University before joining the Royal Navy in 1989. Selected for the Anti-Submarine Warfare specialisation, his early career was spent flying the Sea King Mk6 helicopter with various Naval Air Squadrons including, 810, 819, 820 and 826 Squadrons. During this period he qualified as an Observer Instructor and Helicopter Warfare Instructor, and, following the ditching of his aircraft in September 1998, he became a member of the Goldfish Club, an exclusive organisation dedicated to those who have survived “coming down in the drink.”

Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2000, he began a three year exchange appointment with the Royal Australian Navy flying the S70B-2 Seahawk and taking part in Peace-Keeping Operations in the Solomon Islands.

Returning to the UK in 2003, Commander Phillips transferred to the Merlin Mk1 helicopter and was appointed as Senior Observer and Executive Officer of 700 Squadron, the Merlin Operational Evaluation Unit where trials were carried out on the aircraft prior to it being accepted for operations at sea. From there he was appointed to 814 Squadron as Senior Observer and embarked with the first deployment of the Merlin to sea in 2006. During this deployment he took Command of the Squadron for a six week period.

Commander Phillips then moved to Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth. There he was instrumental in procuring the Merlin Force’s Defensive Aids Suite which offers a high standard of protection from both Infra-Red and Radar-guided anti-aircraft weapons, and he had an influential role in the procurement of Electronic Optical Infra-Red cameras for the Merlin helicopter.

Selected for promotion in 2008, Commander Phillips assumed Command of 820 Squadron in December 2008.