ANNOUNCEMENT | Former Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Joins AthenaLab as Senior Fellow

The former Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, retired Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, has been appointed senior fellow of AthenaLab, during his visit to our offices and in the context of his participation in the current edition of Exponaval, which will take place in Valparaíso from November 29 to December 2.

As Chief of Navy from July 2018 to July 2022, Noonan visited the country twice and was instrumental in the transfer to the Chilean Navy of two Adelaide-class air defense frigates, which now sail under the national flag as “Prat” and “Latorre.”

His appointment as senior fellow will further strengthen ties between Chile and Australia, as both countries share common interests and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

Throughout his extensive career, Noonan held positions including commander of the frigate “HMAS Parramatta,” Deputy Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, and head of maritime border protection for the oceanic nation. During his tenure as Chief of Navy, the decision was made to construct nuclear submarines under the agreement reached with the United States and the United Kingdom for the transfer of cutting-edge military technology, known as the AUKUS initiative.

Noonan holds postgraduate degrees in Business Administration, Maritime Policy, Marketing Communications, and International Relations from the Queensland University of Technology, the Universities of Wollongong and Canberra, and Salve Regina University, respectively. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

At Exponaval, at the invitation of AthenaLab, he will deliver the keynote address at the seminar “The Implications of Being a Maritime Power” on November 30.

November 24, 2022