Stephen Dalton

Sir Stephen Dalton
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton in Afghanistan, January 2010
Born	(1954-04-23) 23 April 1954 Leicester, Leicestershire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1976–2013
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Controller Aircraft RAF Coltishall XIII Squadron
Battles/wars	Operation Jural
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Gary George Dalton GCB, ADC (born 23 April 1954)^[1] is a retired Royal Air Force commander. As commanding officer of XIII Squadron, he deployed on Operation Jural, the United Kingdom's contribution to Operation Southern Watch enforcing the No-Fly Zone over Southern Iraq. He then moved on to high command, serving as Head of Air Operations at the Ministry of Defence during the preparations for and conduct of Operation Telic in Iraq. Most recently he was appointed Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the Royal Air Force, in which role he advised the British Government on the deployment of air power during the Libyan conflict. In that capacity he implemented 2,700 redundancies, as determined by the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Early life

Dalton was educated at Clarendon Park Junior School and Lancaster School in Leicester,^[2] and then the University of Bath, where he studied Aeronautical Engineering.^[3]

Military career

Dalton was commissioned as a University Cadet on 16 September 1973,^[4] before being regraded as a pilot officer following graduation on 15 July 1976.^[5] Dalton was promoted to flying officer on 15 January 1977,^[6] and then flight lieutenant on 15 October 1977.^[7] He flew the SEPECAT Jaguar on three tours, operating from the UK and Germany in both ground attack and tactical reconnaissance roles.^[3] Dalton was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1984,^[8] and awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the 1987 New Year Honours.^[9]

Jaguars of RAF Germany in the late 70s, a type flown by Dalton on three tours in the UK and Germany

Following the Advanced Staff Course, training to fly the Panavia Tornado,^[3] and promotion to wing commander on 1 July 1990,^[10] Dalton commanded XIII Squadron.^[3] He deployed on Operation Jural, the United Kingdom's contribution to Operation Southern Watch enforcing the No-Fly Zone over Southern Iraq.^[3]

Dalton was promoted to group captain on 1 July 1994,^[11] and in 1997 took command of RAF Coltishall and the RAF's Jaguar force.^[3] On promotion to air commodore on 1 January 2000,^[12] he was appointed Head of the Eurofighter Typhoon Programme Assurance Group at the Ministry of Defence.^[3] Following the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2002, Dalton was appointed Head of Air Operations, also at the Ministry of Defence.^[3] His tenure in this role was dominated by the preparations for and conduct of Operation Telic in Iraq.^[3]

On promotion to air vice marshal on 14 May 2003,^[13] Dalton was appointed Director Information Superiority.^[3] He was also appointed Controller Aircraft in 2004, retaining this post upon his appointment as Director Typhoon on 2 May 2006.^[14] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2006 New Year Honours.^[15]

On 1 May 2007, Dalton was promoted to air marshal,^[16] and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel.^[17] In the 2009 Birthday Honours he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.^[18] He was promoted to air chief marshal and appointed Chief of the Air Staff, and Air Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II, on 31 July 2009.^[19] Dalton was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 2012 Birthday Honours.^[20]

In light of the Libyan conflict, Dalton warned that there "was a heck of a lot to be doing" and that the military was nearing the point of "exhaustion". The RAF became the first part of the military to bring in the cuts when it spelled out its plans for 2,700 lay-offs in April 2011, following the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, and Dalton admitted that some were likely to be compulsory.^[21] On 24 June 2011 The Daily Telegraph confirmed that Dalton, in common with the First Sea Lord and the Chief of the General Staff, would lose his position on the Defence Board, the highest non-ministerial Ministry of Defence committee, which makes decisions on all aspect of military policy.^[22] He retired in July 2013.^[23]

Dalton was appointed as Honorary Air Commodore to the RAF Regiment on 21 September 2013, in succession to Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns.^[24] He became Vice President of the Yorkshire Air Museum in 2009 before taking up the post of President in 2015.^[25]

Personal life

Dalton is married ^[26] with two grown-up children.^[3] His interests include sports, theatre and history.^[3] He was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Leicester in 2011^[2] and an honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Bath in 2013.^[27]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stephen Dalton.

• BBC News – Profile: Air Marshal Stephen Dalton

Chiefs of the Air Staff
Sir Hugh Trenchard Sir Frederick Sykes Sir Hugh Trenchard Sir John Salmond Sir Geoffrey Salmond Sir John Salmond Sir Edward Ellington Sir Cyril Newall Lord Portal Lord Tedder Sir John Slessor Sir William Dickson Sir Dermot Boyle Sir Thomas Pike Sir Charles Elworthy Sir John Grandy Sir Denis Spotswood Sir Andrew Humphrey Sir Neil Cameron Sir Michael Beetham Sir Keith Williamson Sir David Craig Sir Peter Harding Sir Michael Graydon Sir Richard Johns Sir Peter Squire Sir Jock Stirrup Sir Glenn Torpy Sir Stephen Dalton Sir Andrew Pulford Sir Stephen Hillier