Who Is The New Chief Of The Air Staff?

Air Chief Marshal Michael Wigston (Picture: RAF).

The RAF has appointed Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston as its new chief, replacing Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier.

Air Chief Marshal Wigston has 33 years of experience in the Royal Air Force after joining in 1986.

He took his first command position in 2000, of Number 12 Squadron.

Eight years later, in 2008, he took command of 903 Expeditionary Air Wing in Afghanistan.

In 2011, he spent a year as Director of Air Operations in Afghanistan and was later honoured with a CBE for his work.

A year later, he was appointed as Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff.

He has also worked as the Chief of Combat Operations in the Combined Air and Space Operations Centre at Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar. 

The airbase is where the coalition of nations fighting against the so-called Islamic State direct their operations from. 

In 2015, he became Commander of British Forces in Cyprus - a position he held for two years before he was appointed as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff.

Subsequently, he became an Air Marshal, holding the role of Deputy Commander Personnel and Air Member for Personnel and Capability.

In March 2017, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff and oversaw the RAF100 centenary programme.

On 26 July 2019, he was promoted to Air Chief Mashal and took the top job as Chief of the Air Staff.