Ray Funnell

Last updated

Raymond George (Ray) Funnell
Born (1935-03-01) 1 March 1935 (age 88)
Brisbane, Queensland
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branch Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service1953–1992 (39 years)
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held
Awards Companion of the Order of Australia
Commander of the Legion of Merit (US)
Other workPrincipal, ACDSS (1994–1998)

Air Marshal Raymond George (Ray) Funnell, AC (born 1 March 1935) is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1987 until 1992. A graduate of RAAF College, he began his career flying CAC Sabre jet fighters in Australia and South East Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1972 to 1975 he commanded No. 6 Squadron, during which time the General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber entered Australian service. He held senior staff posts in the early 1980s. In 1986, he was promoted to air marshal and became the inaugural Vice Chief of the Defence Force. Appointed CAS in July 1987, Funnell was closely involved in the development and dissemination of air power doctrine. He retired from the RAAF in October 1992 following his term as CAS, and was founding Principal of the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies from 1994 to 1998. Since then he has served on various Federal Government committees on immigration and detention.

Contents

Early career and rise to senior command

RAAF Sabres in Thailand during the 1960s Sabre Mk32s RAAF in Thailand early 1960s.jpg
RAAF Sabres in Thailand during the 1960s

Raymond George (Ray) Funnell was born on 1 March 1935 in Brisbane, Queensland, and educated at Brisbane State High School. [1] He joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Training Corps in January 1949, and received a flying training scholarship. [1] [2] In 1951, aged 16, he learnt to fly with the Royal Queensland Aero Club. [3] In January 1953 he entered RAAF College as an air cadet, graduating with distinction in 1956. [1] [4] He married his wife Suzanne in 1958; the couple had two sons. [5] Funnell spent much of his early career flying CAC Sabre jet fighters at RAAF Bases Williamtown, New South Wales, and Butterworth, Malaysia, as well as Ubon, Thailand, and Labuan, East Malaysia. [1] [4] As a flight lieutenant in the early 1960s, he instructed on the de Havilland Vampire with No. 1 Applied Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia. [1] [6] In 1966 he served as commanding officer of No. 79 Squadron at Ubon. [7]

Squadron Leader Funnell attended RAAF Staff College, Canberra, from January to December 1967. [8] He subsequently served in various staff positions with the RAAF and on exchange with the United States Air Force. [7] In 1971 he became the first RAAF officer to attend the US Air War College, and received a master's degree in political science from Auburn University. [4] [7] Promoted to wing commander, from 1972 to 1975 he was commanding officer of No. 6 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. [1] [7] His tenure witnessed the introduction of the General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber to Australian service. On 8/9 April 1974, Funnell flew an F-111 around Australia to commemorate the 1924 circumnavigation of the continent by Wing Commander Stanley Goble and Flight Lieutenant Ivor McIntyre in a Fairey III seaplane. [9] From 1975 to 1978 he was head of the Military Planning Staff for the Australian Defence Force Academy project. [7] He also served as honorary aide-de-camp to Governor-General Sir John Kerr. [10] Funnell was awarded the National Medal for long service in 1977, and a clasp the following year. [11] [12]

Senior command

Promoted to air commodore, Funnell was appointed Chief of Staff at Headquarters Operational Command in Glenbrook, New South Wales, in 1979. [7] [13] He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies, London, in 1981 and the following year was appointed Director-General of the Military Staff Branch in the Department of Defence, Canberra. [7] In November 1983 he was promoted air vice marshal and became Chief of Air Force Operations and Plans. [1] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) on 10 June 1985. [14] The same year, he took up the position of Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Policy). [7] On 6 June 1986, he was promoted to air marshal and appointed the first Vice Chief of the Defence Force; the role made him responsible for Australian Defence Force policy and planning, as well as operations. [15]

The study and knowledge of air power must be the central element of the RAAF's corporate intellect.

—Air Marshal Funnell, 1989. [16]

On 3 July 1987, Funnell succeeded Air Marshal Jake Newham as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), becoming the first graduate of RAAF College to attain the position; he was also the first incumbent to possess a master's degree. [17] [18] Known for his intellectual curiosity and commitment to the study of air warfare, Funnell ordered the establishment in 1989 of a permanent think-tank and educational institution, the Air Power Studies Centre (later the Air Power Development Centre), and donated the R.G. Funnell library to RAAF Staff College. [1] [19] The Air Power Manual, the RAAF's first self-produced treatise on aerial war fighting, was completed by a development team sponsored by Funnell, and published in 1990. [4] [20] Funnell also championed the publication of The Decisive Factor, based on the writings of Air Vice Marshal Henry Wrigley, who was credited with laying the foundations for the RAAF's modern air power doctrine. [21] [22]

As CAS, Funnell focused on turning the RAAF into the "air power element of a cohesive, integrated defence force". [23] His tenure saw the continuation of a shift in the RAAF's 'centre of gravity' from the south to the north of Australia. RAAF Base Curtin, in North Western Australia, and RAAF Base Tindal, in the Northern Territory, were opened and development proceeded on RAAF Base Scherger in Far North Queensland. At the same time, bases in the south, including Point Cook, Laverton and support units in capital cities, were rationalised. [24] [25] The Air Force was in the process of re-equipping its Mirage III fighter squadrons with the F/A-18 Hornet when Funnell became CAS, and he had to contend with a shortage of pilots that was exacerbated by the extra training time required for the new aircraft. [26] [27] In September 1988, he flew one of the RAAF's recently acquired Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainers in the Bicentenary Round Australia Air Race. He considered it fitting that the CAS should make the journey, as Stanley Goble had held the same position when he circumnavigated Australia for the first time in 1924. [3] [28] His term coincided with the 1990–91 Gulf War; [29] the RAAF's contribution included transporting Australian hostages and medical staff from the Middle East. [30] [31] Funnell was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) on 12 June 1989 for his service as CAS, and awarded the US Commander of the Legion of Merit in 1991. [5] [32]

Later life

Funnell retired from the RAAF following completion of his term as CAS on 1 October 1992, and was succeeded by Air Marshal Barry Gration, one of his classmates from the 1953 intake at RAAF College. [7] [33] Funnell's five-year term as CAS was the longest since that of Air Marshal George Jones, who served ten years in the post from 1942 to 1952. [34] In 1993, Funnell became Director of the National Defence College project. [7] From 1994 until 1998, he served as the inaugural Principal of the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, which subsequently evolved into the Australian Defence College. [5] [35] He became a consultant in 1999, and was awarded the Centenary Medal for "humanitarian and defence services" on 1 January 2001. [7] [36] From 2001 to 2009, he was a member of the Minister's Advisory Council on People Smuggling, and the Immigration Detention Advisory Group (IDAG). [37] He publicly disavowed the Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq but, once battle was joined, opposed the withdrawal of troops and cautioned against anti-war demonstrations. [29] [38] Funnell served as Deputy Chair of the Council for Immigration Services and Status Resolution (CISSR) from 2009 to 2011, and became Deputy Chair of the Federal Minister's Council on Asylum Seekers and Detention (MCASD) in 2012. [39] [40] His recreational activities include motorcycling, photography, walking and bicycling. [5]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stephens; Isaacs, High Fliers, pp. 179–182
  2. Stephens, New Era Security, p. 71
  3. 1 2 "RAAF chief in race". The Canberra Times . Canberra: National Library of Australia. 12 September 1988. p. 5. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 APDC, The Australian Experience of Air Power, p. 126
  5. 1 2 3 4 Singh, Who's Who in Australia 2010, p. 802
  6. Stephens, Going Solo, p. 155
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Air Marshals". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  8. Hurst, Strategy and Red Ink, p. 191
  9. Lax, From Controversy to Cutting Edge, pp. 108–109, 128–129
  10. "Vice Regal". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 25 March 1975. p. 2. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  11. "National Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  12. "National Medal – 1st Clasp". It's an Honour. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  13. "The professional military officer in Australia" (PDF). Defence Force Journal. No. 23. July–August 1980. p. 23. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  14. "Officer of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  15. "Funnell first VCDF". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  16. Pickard, Air Power Doctrine Education, p. 15
  17. Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, v
  18. Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, p. 25
  19. Hurst, Strategy and Red Ink, pp. 100, 107
  20. Pickard, Air Power Doctrine Education, p. 6
  21. Stephens, Isaacs, High Fliers, pp. 38–39
  22. Stephens; O'Loghlin, The Decisive Factor, xi
  23. Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 311-312
  24. Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, pp. 90–91
  25. Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 299-300
  26. "RAAF has trouble keeping its pilots". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 16 February 1988. p. 7. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  27. "RAAF unable to muster a fighting complement". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 16 March 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  28. "Weather setback cancels Perth leg". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 26 September 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  29. 1 2 "Iraq War; NSW election". National Interest. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Radio National). 23 March 2003. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  30. "Hostages evacuated from Middle East". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  31. "Medical staff returned from Gulf War". Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  32. "Companion of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  33. Stephens, Going Solo, p. 128
  34. Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, p. 30
  35. "Defence and Strategic Studies Course Handbook 2013" (PDF). Australian Defence College . Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  36. "Centenary Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  37. CISSR, "Meeting minutes", p. 3
  38. Riley, Mark; Marriner, Cosima (27 March 2003). "We'll stay to provide stability: PM". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  39. CISSR, "Meeting minutes", pp. 2, 184
  40. "Changes to Minister's Advisory Council". Department of Immigration and Citizenship. 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Williams (RAAF officer)</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams,, is widely regarded as the "father" of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He was the first military pilot trained in Australia, and went on to command Australian and British fighter units in World War I. A proponent for air power independent of other branches of the armed services, Williams played a leading role in the establishment of the RAAF and became its first Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) in 1922. He served as CAS for thirteen years over three terms, longer than any other officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Rowland (RAAF officer)</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief and New South Wales governor

Air Marshal Sir James Anthony Rowland, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), serving as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1975 to 1979. He held office as Governor of New South Wales from 1981 to 1989, and was Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1990 to 1991.

Chief of Air Force (CAF) is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence. The rank associated with the position is air marshal (three-star). The role encompasses "the delivery of aerospace capability, enhancing the Air Force's reputation and positioning the Air Force for the future". It does not include direction of air operations, which is the purview of the Air Commander Australia, a two-star position responsible directly to CDF in such circumstances but nominally reporting to CAF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Hardman</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman,, known as Donald Hardman, was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II, Hardman held senior staff and operational posts. He was Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 1952 to 1954, after which he served as a member of the British Air Council until retiring in 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Scherger</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Rudolph William Scherger, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff, the RAAF's highest-ranking position, from 1957 until 1961, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, forerunner of the role of Australia's Chief of the Defence Force, from 1961 until 1966. He was the first RAAF officer to hold the rank of air chief marshal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neville McNamara</span> Royal Australian Air Force and Australian Defence Force chief

Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville Patrick McNamara, was a senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), the RAAF's highest-ranking position, from 1979 until 1982, and as Chief of the Defence Force Staff (CDFS), Australia's top military role at the time, from 1982 until 1984. He was the second RAAF officer to hold the rank of air chief marshal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Jones (RAAF officer)</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Marshal Sir George Jones, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He rose from private soldier in World War I to air marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief. Jones was a surprise appointee to the Air Force's top role, and his achievements in the position were coloured by a divisive relationship during World War II with his nominal subordinate, the head of RAAF Command, Air Vice-Marshal William Bostock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Anderson (RAAF officer)</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander (1891–1975)

Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton Anderson, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre for his combat service with No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front in 1917. The following year he took command of No. 7 (Training) Squadron and, later, No. 3 Squadron. Anderson led the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920–21, before joining the fledgling RAAF. The service's third most-senior officer, he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board in the inter-war years. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934, and promoted to air commodore in 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valston Hancock</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Marshal Sir Valston Eldridge Hancock, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Hancock transferred from the Army to the RAAF in 1929 and qualified as a pilot. His administrative training at Duntroon saw him mainly occupy staff posts, including Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters from 1931 to 1935, and Director of Works and Buildings from 1937 to 1939. During the early years of World War II, he commanded No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, and held senior planning and administrative positions. He eventually saw combat in the Aitape–Wewak campaign of the Pacific War during 1945. Flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers, he led first No. 100 Squadron, and later No. 71 Wing. His actions earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Hannah</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief and Queensland governor

Air Marshal Sir Colin Thomas Hannah, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a Governor of Queensland. Born in Western Australia, he was a member of the Militia before joining the RAAF in 1935. After graduating as a pilot, Hannah served in Nos. 22 and 23 Squadrons from 1936 to 1939. During the early years of World War II, he was the RAAF's Deputy Director of Armament. He then saw action in the South West Pacific as commander of No. 6 Squadron and, later, No. 71 Wing, operating Bristol Beaufort bombers. By 1944, he had risen to the rank of group captain, and at the end of the war was in charge of Western Area Command in Perth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCauley</span> Royal Australian Air Force chief

Air Marshal Sir John Patrick Joseph McCauley, KBE, CB was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1954 to 1957. A Duntroon graduate, McCauley spent four years in the Australian Military Forces before transferring to the RAAF in 1924. He was Director of Training from 1936 to 1938, and commanded engineering and flying training schools for the first eighteen months of World War II. Having been promoted to group captain in 1940, he was posted to Singapore in June 1941 to take charge of all RAAF units defending the area. He earned praise for his efforts in attacking invading Japanese forces before the fall of Singapore, and for his dedication in evacuating his men. After serving as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1942–44, he was appointed to a senior operational role with the Royal Air Force's 2nd Tactical Air Force in Europe, where he saw out the rest of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Read (RAAF officer)</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Marshal Sir Charles Frederick Read, KBE, CB, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1972 to 1975. Born in Sydney, Read joined the RAAF in 1937, and began his career flying biplane fighters. As a Beaufighter pilot, he led No. 31 Squadron and No. 77 Wing in the South West Pacific during World War II. His achievements earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and a mention in despatches, and he finished the war an acting group captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alister Murdoch</span> Royal Australian Air Force air marshal

Air Marshal Sir Alister Murray Murdoch, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1965 to 1969. Joining the Air Force in 1930, Murdoch trained as a seaplane pilot and participated in an Antarctic rescue mission for lost explorers in 1935. During World War II, he commanded No. 221 Squadron RAF in Europe and the Middle East, and later occupied senior positions on the staff of RAAF formations in the South West Pacific. His post-war appointments included Commandant of RAAF College from 1952 to 1953, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command from 1953 to 1955, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1958 to 1959, and AOC Operational Command from 1962 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Wrigley</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Vice Marshal Henry Neilson Wrigley, CBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). A pioneering flyer and aviation scholar, he piloted the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, and afterwards laid the groundwork for the RAAF's air power doctrine. During World War I, Wrigley joined the Australian Flying Corps and saw combat with No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross; he later commanded the unit and published a history of its wartime exploits. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for his 1919 cross-country flight.

Air Marshal Selwyn David Evans AC, DSO, AFC was a senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and a writer and consultant on defence matters. He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1982 until 1985. After leaving the RAAF he published two military treatises, A Fatal Rivalry: Australia's Defence at Risk and War: A Matter of Principles, as well as an autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Newham</span> Royal Australian Air Force air marshal (born 1930)

Air Marshal John William "Jake" Newham, AC was a senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1985 until 1987. Joining the RAAF in 1951, he flew Gloster Meteor jets with No. 77 Squadron in the Korean War in 1953, and subsequently de Havilland Vampires with No. 78 Wing on garrison duty in Malta. From 1958 to 1960, he served with No. 3 Squadron, operating CAC Sabres during the Malayan Emergency. He took charge of No. 3 Squadron in 1967, when it re-equipped with the Dassault Mirage III supersonic fighter. His commands in the early 1970s included the Aircraft Research and Development Unit, RAAF Base Laverton, and No. 82 Wing, the last-mentioned during its first years operating the long-delayed General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber. He was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in March 1984, and CAS in May the following year. His tenure as CAS coincided with the release of the Dibb Report on Australia's defence capabilities, and the controversial transfer of the RAAF's battlefield helicopters to the Australian Army. Newham retired from the Air Force in July 1987 and became a company director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Walters</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Vice Marshal Allan Leslie Walters, CB, CBE, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in Victoria and raised in Western Australia, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, before transferring to the RAAF in 1928. He was one of the service's leading flying instructors and aerobatic pilots between the wars, and was appointed to his first squadron command in 1937. Over the course of World War II, Walters led No. 1 Squadron in Singapore, No. 1 (Fighter) Wing in Darwin, Northern Territory, No. 72 Wing in Dutch New Guinea, and Northern Command in Papua New Guinea. He was decorated with the Air Force Cross in 1941 for his work with No. 1 Squadron, and mentioned in despatches in 1944 for his service with No. 72 Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hely</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Vice Marshal William Lloyd Hely, CB, CBE, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1930 before transferring to the RAAF as a cadet pilot. Hely came to public attention in 1936–37, first when he crashed on a survey flight in the Northern Territory, and later when he undertook two successful missions to locate missing aircraft in the same vicinity. His rescue efforts earned him the Air Force Cross. After occupying staff positions during the early years of World War II, Hely was appointed Officer Commanding No. 72 Wing in Dutch New Guinea in May 1944. Later that year he formed No. 84 Wing, commanding it during the Bougainville campaign until the end of the Pacific War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Headlam</span> Royal Australian Air Force senior commander

Air Vice Marshal Frank Headlam, was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born and educated in Tasmania, he joined the RAAF as an air cadet in January 1934. He specialised in flying instruction and navigation before the outbreak of World War II. In April 1941, he became commanding officer of No. 2 Squadron, which operated Lockheed Hudsons. The squadron was deployed to Dutch Timor in December, and saw action against Japanese forces in the South West Pacific. After returning to Australia in February 1942, Headlam held staff appointments and training commands, finishing the war a group captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Board (Australia)</span> Royal Australian Air Force board of control

The Air Board, also known as the Administrative Air Board, or the Air Board of Administration, was the controlling body of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 1921 to 1976. It was composed of senior RAAF officers as well as some civilian members, and chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). The CAS was the operational head of the Air Force, and the other board members were responsible for specific areas of the service such as personnel, supply, engineering, and finance. Originally based in Melbourne, the board relocated to Canberra in 1961.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Air Marshal John Newham
Chief of the Air Staff
1987–1992
Succeeded by
Air Marshal Barry Gration
New office Vice Chief of the Defence Force
1986–1987
Succeeded by
Vice Admiral Ian Knox