Richard Knighton

Last updated

Sir Richard Knighton
New Chief of the Air Staff Rich Knighton (cropped).jpg
Air Chief Marshal Knighton in 2023
Birth nameRichard John Knighton
Born1969 (age 54–55) [1]
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1988–present [1]
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held
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, currently serving as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, since 2 June 2023. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from January 2015 to January 2017, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) (December 2018 to May 2022) at the Ministry of Defence, and as Deputy Commander Capability at RAF Air Command. Knighton is notable for being the first Chief of the Air Staff who is not a military pilot or indeed aircrew-qualified. [2]

Contents

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. He graduated in 1991 with a first class Bachelor of Arts degree. [1]

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. 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, [3] 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] [3] [4] 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] [5] In July 2016, it was announced that Knighton would become Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability & Force Design) with effect from January 2017. [6] In the 2017 New Year Honours, Knighton was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. [7] 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. [8] In May 2022, he was appointed Deputy Commander Capability at Air Command at RAF High Wycombe. [9] In the 2022 Birthday Honours, Knighton was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. [10]

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. [11] Knighton, who joined the RAF as an engineering officer, is significant as the first non-military pilot to be appointed to the role of CAS. [2] Knighton took up the post on 2 June 2023. [12] [13]

Personal life

Knighton is married to Caitlin, a partner to a Cambridge-based law firm. [1] The couple share their Cambridge home with their two daughters, Emily (born 2000) and Rosie (born 2002). [1] Knighton is president of Combined Services and RAF Powerlifting, along with the chairman of the RAF Winter Sports Federation. [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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)</span> Professional head of the British Armed Forces

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of Defence is the highest ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)</span> Professional head of the Royal Air Force

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is the professional head of the Royal Air Force and a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Air Force Board. The post was created in 1918 with Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard as the first incumbent. The current and 30th Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who succeeded Sir Michael Wigston on 2 June 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strategic Command (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assistant Chief of the Air Staff</span> Senior appointment in the Royal Air Force

The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The current ACAS is Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Moran</span> Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal (1956-2010)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh Moran, was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. He was Commander-in-Chief of Air Command at the time of his unexpected death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Air Command</span> Only command in the Royal Air Force

Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)</span> Senior appointment in the Royal Air Force

The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent is the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1969, and from 2023 to present. The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formerly the Deputy Commander Capability, is responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of Royal Air Force capability, including people, equipment, infrastructure, and training. The appointee is a Member of the United Kingdom's Air Force Board as the Air Member for Personnel and Capability due to their position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Peach</span> Royal Air Force officer (born 1956)

Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach, is a British retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. He was deployed as NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000. He went on to be Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2006, Chief of Joint Operations in 2009 and the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011 before being appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013. Peach succeeded General Sir Nick Houghton as Chief of the Defence Staff on 14 July 2016. He succeeded General Petr Pavel as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 29 June 2018, serving as such until his retirement from NATO in June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Atha</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1962)

Air Marshal Sir Stuart David Atha,, is a former senior officer of the Royal Air Force. He led No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron from 2000 to 2004, which included deployment to Iraq on Operation Telic, commanded RAF Coningsby (2006–08), No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (2009–10) and No. 1 Group (2011–14), and served as the Air Component Commander for security during the 2012 London Olympics. Atha was RAF Deputy Commander Operations from 2016 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Bryant (RAF officer)</span> British Royal Air Force air marshal

Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant, is a former Royal Air Force officer, who served as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command, and he was the second-most senior officer in the service until this post was dis-established in March 2012. He was appointed in 2010, following the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, having served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel for just over a year. He was knighted in the 2011 New Year Honours List.

Air Marshal Sir Timothy Michael Anderson, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer. He served as the inaugural Director-General of the UK Military Aviation Authority (MAA) from 2010 to 2013. The MAA was established in response to the Haddon-Cave Review into the issues surrounding the loss of an RAF Nimrod over Afghanistan in September 2006. Earlier in his career, Anderson was a fast jet pilot, primarily flying the Tornado ground attack aircraft, and as Officer Commanding No. 14 Squadron led the United Kingdom's Tornado commitment to Operation Allied Force, the NATO air campaign over Kosovo in 1999, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He is currently Chairman of the UK Airspace Change Organising Group Steering Committee, overseeing a national infrastructure programme on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport and the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Air Marshal Sir Kevin James Leeson, is a retired Royal Air Force engineer officer, whose final appointment was as Chief of Materiel – Air at the Defence Equipment and Support organisation, concurrently holding the appointments of Air Member for Materiel on the Air Force Board and Chief Engineer (RAF), at which point he was the most senior non-aircrew officer in the service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Hillier</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen John Hillier, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2016 to 2019. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf in 1999 and was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for service in the Iraq War. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group, Director Information Superiority at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability) and finally Chief of the Air Staff from July 2016. He was appointed chair of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Bagwell</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1961)

Air Marshal Gregory Jack Bagwell, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander who served as Deputy Commander (Operations) at RAF Air Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Wigston</span> British air marshal

Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, is a former senior officer in the Royal Air Force, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 26 July 2019 until 2 June 2023. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from 2017 to 2018, and Deputy Commander (Personnel) and Air Member for Personnel and Capability from 2018 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Mayhew</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1969)

Air Marshal Sir Gerard Michael David Mayhew, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander Operations, Headquarters Air Command between May 2019 and August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Smyth</span> Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, is a senior Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer, who has been the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since March 2024. Previously, he served as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group (2018–2020) and Air and Space Commander (2022–2024). Between February 2020 and August 2022, he took up the new post of Director Space, in the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Duguid</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Vice-Marshal Ian W. Duguid, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, whose final post was as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group RAF, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. Duguid was a Harrier pilot and Typhoon Force Commander before assuming the role of the Air Officer Commanding of No. 11 Group, which he served as from 2018 to November 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Gale</span>

Air Marshal Ian David Gale, is a senior officer in the Royal Air Force, serving as Director-General of Joint Force Development, Strategic Command since April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Maddison</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Richard Clark Maddison, is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group RAF from 2020 to 2023, and then served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Air Member for Personnel from May to September 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "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. 1 2 Mackie, Colin (December 2021). "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF). Gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. pp. 11, 16. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Air rank and command appointments list 11.14 – Senior Appointments". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Air Vice-Marshal Richard Knighton – CAA board and staff". CAA.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority . Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Mackie, Colin. "Senior Tri-Service and Ministry of Defence Appointments" (PDF). Gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N2.
  8. ↑ "No. 62525". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 2019. p. 87.
  9. ↑ "Deputy Commander Capability: Sir Rich Knighton KCB FREng". RAD.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 2022. p. B3.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB FREng". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "No. 64077". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2023. p. 11608.
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–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.