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Rich Knighton
Royal Air Force officer and professional head, and aerospace engineer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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] In June 2025, it was announced that Knighton had been appointed the next Chief of the Defence Staff; he will take up the appointment in September 2025.
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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
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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]
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] The appointment had been reported in the press in early June.[5][19] He will take up the post in September 2025.[17]
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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
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