Vice Admiral Klaus-Michael Nelte

Vice Admiral Klaus-Michael Nelte was born in Aachen, Germany, on 26 September 1958. He joined the German Navy in 1977 and finished the Naval Academy one year later. Subsequently, he attended his studies at the University of the German Armed Forces, Hamburg and gained an MA in business and economics.

After completion of his academic studies, Vice Admiral Nelte was trained as a

navigator / weapon systems operator and flew the Tornado PA200 in the maritime role in the Naval Air Wing 1. After this appointment, he attended the General Command and Staff Course at the Federal Armed Forces Command and General Staff College in Hamburg from 1991 to 1993.

Furthermore, he assumed command of 2nd Squadron Naval Air Wing 2. He then

served in the MOD in the Armed Forces Planning Staff. His next assignment was

Section Chief for Naval Air Forces within the Operations Division of the Fleet Command. After this tour, he returned to the Naval Air Wing 2 as the Deputy Wing Commander.

Following this assignment, he returned to the MOD as Staff Officer in the Defence Minister’s Policy Planning and Advisory Staff, where he was responsible for new military concepts.

In October 2003, Vice Admiral Nelte was appointed Head of Plans Branch Air

Division and Senior German Officer at RHQ EASTLANT / HQ NAVNORTH in Northwood.

He was called back to the MOD in Berlin for a tour as Section Chief, Policy Planning and Advisory Staff in 2005.

In 2007 the Minister of Defence designated Vice Admiral Nelte as his Liaison officer to the Federal President Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler to act as his military advisor, provide direct support in all security and arms control issues, liaise with the Federal Armed Forces and the armed forces of other countries.

In July 2010 Vice Admiral Nelte was appointed Deputy Military Representative and Chief of Staff at the German Military Representation to MC NATO/EU and in 2012 he was elected Chairman of the European Union Military Committee Working Group.

In July 2013 he was appointed Director Organization and Audit Staff at the MOD.

Currently, Vice Admiral Nelte serves as the German Military Representative to NATO and the EU. He was appointed on July 1st 2019.

Vice Admiral Nelte is married and has a daughter.