Keir Starmer has lined up the ‘defence bureaucrat’ head of the Royal Air Force as the new professional head of Britain’s Armed Forces as he seeks to make the country ‘war ready’.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, an RAF engineer, is reportedly in line to be the next Chief of Defence Staff.
He is said to be be known as the ‘money man’ because of his ability to keep an eye on military finances.
It comes as the Prime Minister launches a major investment in the UK’s defences amid a growing threat from Russia and China.
This week he committed to spend 2.5 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3 per cent over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034.
However, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte is thought to be pushing for allies to commit to spending 3.5 per cent on the military, with a further 1.5 per cent on defence-related measures, as the alliance responds to Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s actions in Ukraine.
The Times reported that an official announcement is expected shortly.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, an RAF engineer, is reportedly in line to be the next Chief of Defence Staff.
Sir Richard (with Sir Keir this week) is said to be be known as the ‘money man’ because of his ability to keep an eye on military finances.
The Strategic Defence Review published earlier this week recommended a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence announced a £5 billion investment in the ‘kit of the future’, after the publication of the review on Monday.
The funding includes £4 billion for drones and autonomous systems, and an extra £1 billion for lasers to protect British ships and soldiers.
In addition to investment in drones and AI, the Government has announced an additional £1 billion for the development of ‘directed energy weapons’ (DEWs) during the current Parliament.
This includes the DragonFire laser scheduled to be fitted to the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers from 2027, with a similar system provided for the Army by the end of the decade.
DragonFire and other DEWs are intended to provide a lower-cost form of air defence against targets including drones, costing just £10 per shot compared with the thousands of pounds it costs to fire existing weapons.
The current CDS is Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who has been in the role since 2021.
According to his biography on the Government website, Sir Richard joined the RAF in 1989 as a university cadet, and served as deputy chief of the defence staff from 2019 to 2022.
The Ministry of Defence said: ‘This is speculation. The appointment process is ongoing and any announcement will be made in the usual way.’
The current CDS is Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who has been in the role since 2021.
The Strategic Defence Review published earlier this week recommended a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence.
