Commodore Steve Ramm

Steven Ramm was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire and educated at Laxton Grammar School, part of Oundle School. He joined the Royal Navy as a seaman officer on the General List, in September 1972, aged 17.

After initial training, he navigated HMS SHAVINGTON, a minesweeper, for one year before volunteering as a submariner. On completion of nuclear training, he qualified ‘SM’ in HMS SOVEREIGN in 1976. Thereafter, he served in HMS SCEPTRE, HMS ONSLAUGHT, HMS REPULSE(PORT) and HMS OCELOT before completing the Submarine Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (‘The Perisher’) in 1985.

After 9 months as Commander to the 3rd Submarine Squadron (Faslane), he commanded HMS ORACLE and then HMS OTTER. In 1988 he completed Staff Training at RNSC Greenwich and then joined HMS TALENT as the Executive Officer for build, sea trials and acceptance. Assuming command of the SSN, HMS TURBULENT in Aug 1990, he was subsequently promoted to Commander in June 1991. From spring 1992 he was Commander Submarine Sea Training, responsible for the safety and operational training of British and Dutch submarines. Thereafter he served as Staff Officer Submarines to the Commander British Naval Staff in Washington DC (94-96) and then in the Ministry of Defence Commitments Staff as Balkans Current Commitments Desk Officer (97-98). Promoted to Captain in December 1998, he became Assistant Director for Underwater Warfare in the Directorate of Operational Requirements. He transitioned this job into the Central Customer Organisation as the Deputy Director Equipment Capability for the Underwater Battlespace. In early April 2001 he became the Defence Advisor to the Eastern Caribbean, based in Bridgetown Barbados. After a year as Director Royal Navy at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham Capt Ramm assumed command of the Faslane Flotilla in July 2005. As FASFLOT he was responsible for the Vanguard Class Nuclear Deterrent, a squadron of Swiftsure Class SSNs, and the Sandown Class Mine Hunter squadron.

After 9 months as Assistant Naval Attaché, Commodore Ramm assumed the duties of Naval Attaché in Washington D.C. in April 2008. He is accompanied in Washington by his wife Alison; they have 2 children who are at university in UK.