Captain Andrew Hough RAN

Captain Andrew Hough (pronounced ‘How’) joined the RAN in 1995, through the Australian Defence Force Academy. Commencing professional training in 1998, he proceeded to a range of postings until 2004 as a junior Maritime Warfare Officer. This included service in the patrol boat HMAS Cessnock, an exchange posting with the Royal Canadian Navy in the destroyer HMCS Algonquin, and service in the frigate HMAS Canberra before qualifying as an Air Intercept Controller (AIC). In that capacity Hough served in the frigates HMAS Sydney and HMAS Darwin, deploying to the Middle East on two occasions, including service in the Iraq War 2003, subsequently serving as an AIC Instructor with the Air Force. Lieutenant Hough specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer in 2005 and served as a PWO in the frigate HMAS Warramunga. He sub-specialised as an Air Warfare Officer in 2007 and served as Operations Officer of the frigate HMAS Anzac and then on exchange with the Royal Navy (RN) as the Operations Officer and Air Warfare Officer of the destroyer HMS Manchester. Highlights of his sea service as a PWO were a third operational deployment to the Middle East, exercises in Hawaii and South East Asia, a deployment to the Caribbean for counter-narcotics and hurricane relief operations, and a year training ships in Air Warfare as the Fleet Direction Officer within Sea Training Group.

Lieutenant Commander Hough served as Executive Officer of the frigate HMAS Melbourne from 2012-2014, and deployed on two further occasions to the Middle East, with the ship enjoying considerable success in counter-piracy and counter-narcotics operations. He was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2015 for his leadership performance in this role. Attending the Australian Command and Staff Course in Canberra in 2015, Hough served as the Personal Staff Officer to the Deputy Chief of Navy in 2016 and in a Navy Workforce Management role in 2017.

In 2018, Commander Hough assumed command of the RAN Recruit School in an extremely satisfying and challenging role, responsible for the initial entry training for all Sailors. In 2020, he completed a brief posting in Fleet Headquarters, where he was responsible for Sea Combat related force generation activities, focused on Air-Maritime Integration. Commander Hough served in command of the destroyer HMAS Sydney from 2021-23. Under his command, Sydney deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific, with port visits ranging from southern Australia to Canada, the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii, conducting complex weapons firings and serving as Commander Task Group for regional presence deployments and major exercises. After a brief posting in the Directorate of Navy Strategy and Plans, Captain Hough assumed duties as Director Maritime Plans within the Maritime Operations Branch in December 2023.

His professional awards include the RSL Sword as Dux of Maritime Warfare Officer training in 1999, Dux of Air Intercept Controller course in 2001, the Sydney-Emden Prize and Sword of Excellence as Dux of Principal Warfare Officer training in 2005, the St Barbara Association prize as Dux of PWO Air Warfare course in 2007, the BAE Systems prize as Dux of RN Air Warfare Course in 2009, and the Chief of Navy Prize as the top Navy student on Australian Command and Staff Course in 2015.

Andrew Hough has a Master of Military and Defence Studies (ANU) and a Master of Arts in Military History (UNSW Canberra)

Research Areas

• 21^st Century Naval Leadership in an Australian context.
• Enduring lessons of the Falklands campaign that transcend the technological context and adversary.
• The 1973 Battles of Baltim and Latakia