Commander Ross Upton

Commander Upton joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1997 and graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1999.

Following qualification as a Maritime Warfare Officer in 2002, Commander Upton served as an Officer of the Watch in HMAS Stuart until 2004, and from 2005 to 2010 as the Navigating Officer in HMAS Ships Ipswich, Perth and Sirius. Commander Upton was subsequently appointed as the Commanding Officer of HMA Ships Albany and Larrakia from 2011 to 2012.

Following a break in service to study at the Australian Maritime College, Commander Upton attended the Australian Defence Force Capability and Technology Management College in 2017. Postings in capability development followed from 2018 to 2019 in the Littoral Branch at Navy Headquarters, sponsoring the SEA1654 Supply class auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel and SEA1180 Arafura class offshore patrol vessel projects.

From 2020 to 2021, Commander Upton served in the Maritime Operations Branch at Fleet Headquarters in Headquarters Joint Operations Command, as the Deputy Director Current Operations and Chief of Staff to Director General Maritime Operations.

Commander Upton has completed a Master of Arts in Strategy and Security in 2015 and Master of Capability Management in 2017 via the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Commander Upton assumed command of HMAS Choules on 7 December 2021.