Rich Knighton
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Sir Richard John Knighton is a British engineer and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He has served as Chief of the Defence Staff since September 2025.
Knighton in 2023
Knighton (right) at the formal handover as Chief of the Air Staff, 2023
Tony Radakin
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Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, is a retired senior Royal Navy officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, from November 2021 to September 20
Rich Knighton
…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. He took up the post in September 2025. In a 2026 op-ed, Knighton and his German counterpart Carsten Breuer stated the need to deepen ties between the…
Admiral Radakin in 2024
Vice Admiral Radakin as Second Sea Lord
Radakin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Kyiv, Ukraine on 19 November 2022
Radakin at the Coronation of Charles III in 2023