Air and Space Commander

Air and Space Commander
Incumbent Air Marshal Allan Marshall since 8 March 2024
Royal Air Force
Abbreviation	ASC
Member of	Air Force Board
Reports to	Chief of the Air Staff
Appointer	The King
Website	Official Website

The Air and Space Commander is the senior Royal Air Force officer responsible for the conduct of air operations. ^[1] The current Air and Space Commander is Air Marshal Allan Marshall who has been serving in the position since March 2024. ^[1]

Marshall is married to the current Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall. ^[2]

The Air and Space Commander supervises 1 Group, 2 Group, 11 Group (with 83 EAG within it); 22 Group, and United Kingdom Space Command.

Previous post-holders

Deputy Commanders-in-Chief (Operations)

• Air Marshal Iain McNicoll, 26 February 2007 ^[3] – 13 April 2010 (appointed as DC-in-C Strike Command)
• Air Marshal Richard Garwood, 14 April 2010 ^{[4] [5]} to Spring 2012

Deputy Commanders (Operations)

• Air Marshal Richard Garwood, Spring 2012 to April 2013
• Air Marshal Greg Bagwell, 16 April 2013 to June 2016 ^[6]
• Air Marshal Stuart Atha, June 2016 to May 2019
• Air Marshal Sir Gerry Mayhew, May 2019 to August 2022
• Air Marshal Harv Smyth, August 2022 to 2023

Air and Space Commander

• Air Marshal Harv Smyth, 2023 to March 2024
• Air Marshal Allan Marshall, March 2024 ^{[7] [8]}

See also

• Deputy Chief of the Air Staff

References

1. "Deputy Commander Operations". 28 August 2022.
2. "Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall". International Bomber Command Centre. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
3. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 08/06 of 25 Sep 2006 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
4. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 02/10 of 31 Mar 2010 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
5. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/10 of 18 Jun 2010 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
6. "Ups and outs July 2013". Defence Viewpoints. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
7. "No. 64341". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 March 2024. p. 5003.
8. "Senior Appointments: 2023". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023. Air Vice-Marshal A P Marshall OBE to be promoted Air Marshal and to be Air and Space Commander in March 2024 in succession to Air Marshal H Smyth CB OBE DFC.