Perowne joined the
Royal Navy in 1965 and passed the RN Staff College in 1977. He served in
HM Yacht Britannia from 1980–82 and commanded
HMS Alacrity in 1982–1983, before an appointment to the British Naval Staff in
Washington D. C., 1986–88. His second command, in 1988–1989, was
HMS Brazen, and after that he served as Assistant Director (Strategic Systems), then as Chief Naval Signals Officer at the
Ministry of Defence. He was Commodore to the Clyde and Naval Base Commander, 1994 to 1996,
Chief Executive at the
Naval Bases and Supply Agency in 1999 a post he simoultensouly held until 2003. and
Chief of Fleet Support in April 2000. In October 2000 he was involved with the Navy's efforts to deal with oil that had been leaking for several years from
HMS Royal Oak in
Scapa Flow. In 2004 he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive of
Warship Support Agency until 2005 when he retired. ==Life after the Navy==