Simon Bateman served for nearly 40 years with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). After qualifying as a seaman officer, he specialised as a helicopter pilot. He has gained extensive operational experience during deployments to the Middle East and domestic border protection operations. He has also worked overseas in postings to New Zealand and the United States. His final role in the RAN was as the Australian Defence Adviser in New Delhi, India after completing the Indian National Defence College in 2017.