A senior general and former head of UK Special Forces has been appointed head of the Royal Navy.

Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins has taken over the role after Adm Sir Ben Key was removed as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff while under investigation over allegations of misconduct.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the general was “a proven leader with a distinguished career in both the military and at the core of government”.

Earlier this week a BBC Panorama investigation said Gen Jenkins had overseen the rejection of hundreds of UK resettlement applications from Afghan commandos who had served alongside the SAS.

The rejections were controversial because they came at a time when a judge-led public inquiry in the UK had begun investigating the SAS for alleged war crimes.

The Afghan commandos were present on raid operations when alleged unlawful killings took place, but cannot be compelled to give evidence to the inquiry if they are not in the UK.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there was no evidence that it had tried to prevent former Afghan troops from giving evidence to the inquiry.

Gen Jenkins did not respond to Panorama’s request for comment.

On his appointment as head of the Royal Navy on Thursday, Gen Jenkins said it was “an honour” and he felt “extremely privileged to lead the exceptional sailors and marines of the Royal Navy at this pivotal time for UK Defence”.

Healey added: “As the first Royal Marine appointed to the role, this is a hugely significant moment for the Royal Navy.”

Gen Jenkins joined the Royal Marines in 1990. He later served as a commanding officer in the Special Boat Service (SBS), the naval equivalent of the SAS.

He was awarded an OBE for a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan, and returned to the UK in 2012 as the prime minister’s military assistant.

He also served in the Cabinet Office, and returned to he military in 2017, becoming vice chief of the defence staff. Since August 2024, he had been acting as a strategic advisor to Healey.

Earlier in May, the MoD confirmed that Gen Jenkins’s predecessor, Adm Key, had been removed from duties while under investigation, but did not give any further details.

It followed reports in the Sun that Adm Key was suspected of having an affair with a more junior female colleague.

He was due to retire from his position this summer, after serving as the head of the Royal Navy since 2021, meaning the search for his successor was already underway.