Rich Knighton

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Air Chief Marshal

Sir Rich Knighton

KCB ADC FREng
Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton 2024.jpg
Air Chief Marshal Knighton in 2023
Birth nameRichard John Knighton
Born1969 (age 55–56) [1]
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1988–present [1]
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands
Battles / wars Kosovo War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Alma mater Clare College, Cambridge (BA, engineering)
Spouse(s)Caitlin

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard John Knighton, KCB , ADC , FREng (born 1969) is a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and professional engineer. He has served as Chief of the Defence Staff since September 2025.

Contents

Knighton previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from January 2015 to January 2017, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) from December 2018 to May 2022, Deputy Commander Capability at Air Command from May 2022 to May 2023 and Chief of the Air Staff from June 2023 to August 2025. He is notable for being the first Chief of the Air Staff who is not a military pilot or indeed aircrew-qualified. [2]

Early life

Born in 1969, [1] Knighton was educated at Hatton Secondary School in Derbyshire. As a university cadet sponsored by the Royal Air Force, he studied engineering at Clare College, Cambridge where he graduated in 1991 with a first class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. [3] [1] As per tradition, his BA degree was subsequently promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. [4]

Military career

Knighton joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) at RAF College Cranwell in 1988. [1] In his early career, he served as an Engineer Officer, and worked on Nimrod, Harrier, and Tornado F3 aircraft, specialising on airframes. [1] In 1998, he was promoted to squadron leader, becoming Senior Engineer Officer on No. 20 Squadron RAF, which was then the Harrier operational conversion unit based at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire. He supported the Kosovo War as senior engineering officer in No. 1 Squadron RAF, serving in Italy; this would be his only combat tour. [5] Following this, Knighton moved on to the Tornado as fleet manager for the Tornado Integrated Project Team, which encompassed all variants of Tornado then in RAF service. [1]

In 2003 Knighton was promoted to wing commander whilst attending the Advanced Command and Staff Course. A year later, he returned to the Harrier Force in 2004 as part of the Integrated Project Team based at RAF Wyton; this role was looking at ways to transform how the Harrier was supported by commercial industry partners. [1]

In 2006, he was appointed military assistant to the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Equipment Capability) at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, London. Promoted to group captain in mid-2007, he moved to RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire to take post as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Strategy and Plans at Air Command. In 2009, Knighton attended the Royal College of Defence Studies, and upon completion, became the Logistics Force Commander for the RAF and Station Commander of RAF Wittering until 2011. [1]

Knighton (right) at the formal handover as Chief of the Air Staff, 2023 RAF Chief of the Air Staff 2023 handover.jpg
Knighton (right) at the formal handover as Chief of the Air Staff, 2023

In May 2011, with promotion to air commodore, Knighton was appointed Director of Air Plans, subsequently known as Head of Finance and Military Capability (Air), at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, [6] before moving on to creating and leading the Future Combat Air System programme. [1] From January 2015 to 2017, he served as the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. [1] [6] [7] As such, he was a member of the Air Force Board, and also sat on the board of the Civil Aviation Authority as a non-executive member. [1] [8] In July 2016, it was announced that Knighton would become Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability & Force Design) with effect from January 2017. [9] In the 2017 New Year Honours, Knighton was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. [10] In December 2018, he was promoted to air marshal, and appointed as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) at the Ministry of Defence. [11] In May 2022, he was appointed Deputy Commander Capability at Air Command at RAF High Wycombe. [12] In the 2022 Birthday Honours, Knighton was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. [13]

In March 2023, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that Knighton would be appointed as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) in June 2023, in the rank of air chief marshal. [14] Knighton, who joined the RAF as an engineering officer, is significant as the first non-pilot to be appointed to the role of CAS. [2] Knighton took up the post on 2 June 2023. [15] [16]

On 27 June 2025, it was officially announced that Knighton had been appointed the next Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, in succession to Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. [17] [18] He took up the post in September 2025. [17] [19]

Personal life

Knighton is married to Caitlin, a partner in a Cambridge-based law firm. [1] The couple share their Cambridge home with their two daughters. [1] Off duty, Knighton is a "a below-average sportsman", and a keen skier, and confesses a desire to do more sailing, whilst also keeping current with his private pilots licence. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Assistant Chief of Air Staff (ACAS) – Senior Commanders". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 2017 [2015]. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Haynes, Deborah (29 March 2023). "RAF set to name non-pilot as chief for the first time in its history". News.Sky.com. Sky News . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Assistant Chief of the Air Staff". RAF. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015.
  4. ↑ Candlin, Alex (31 March 2023). "Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton: Who is the engineer appointed as next RAF chief?". www.forces.net.
  5. ↑ Cobham, Tara (4 June 2025). "Starmer chooses RAF chief Sir Richard Knighton to lead armed forces". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  6. 1 2 Mackie, Colin (December 2021). "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF). Gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. pp. 11, 16. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Air rank and command appointments list 11.14 – Senior Appointments". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Air Vice-Marshal Richard Knighton – CAA board and staff". CAA.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority . Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Mackie, Colin. "Senior Tri-Service and Ministry of Defence Appointments" (PDF). Gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N2.
  11. ↑ "No. 62525". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 2019. p. 87.
  12. ↑ "Deputy Commander Capability: Sir Rich Knighton KCB FREng". RAD.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 2022. p. B3.
  14. ↑ The Royal Air Force [@RoyalAirForce] (31 March 2023). "Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton to be appointed Chief of the Air Staff in June 2023, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB FREng". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "No. 64077". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2023. p. 11608.
  17. 1 2 "Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton KCB ADC FREng appointed new Chief of the Defence Staff". GOV.UK. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  18. ↑ Sivills-McCann, David (27 June 2025). "Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton appointed next Chief of Defence Staff". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  19. ↑ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB ADC FREng". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
Military offices
Preceded by Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
2015–2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability & Force Design)
2017–2018		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability)
2018–2022
Preceded by Deputy Commander Capability, Air Command
2022–2023		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Air Staff
2023–2025		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Defence Staff
2025–present		Incumbent
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