Description
TLC via GOOGLE MEET
THURSDAY 10th September 2026 18:00 BST
The Vital Importance of ‘Control of the Air (and Space)’ in today’s Volatile World
Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth KCB OBE DFC ADC
What a tremendous way to start our Q3/4 Autumn programme and indeed a huge privilege to have the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) presenting to TLC tonight. We have been most fortunate in enjoying presentations from his 4 immediate predecessors (Air Chief Marshals Sir Andrew Pulford, Sir Stephen Hillier, Sir Mike Wigston and Sir Rich Knighton) but tonights event from Sir Harv could not be more timely.
Hopefully by then we’ll have the DIP etc settled, and Sir Harv intends to talk about what this means for the RAF from and air and space point of view. He wants to talk about lessons we have learned from recent conflicts, and how these are shaping a redesign of the RAF, to include a meaningful pivot into AI and autonomy. In addition Sir Harv hopes to share with us lessons he is learning with regards to leadership in such a febrile environment
In addition we are running this once again as a live/online event in conjunction with our great friends and TLC members at Red Hat. This will be our will be our 3rd Live/online event and as last time we will be using Red Hat’s Google Meet Video conferencing system and also live hosted at Red Hat’s offices. Would you like to attend?
You will be provided with the Google Meet link in due course BUT if you would like to attend in person then PLEASE LET ME KNOW and I will inform Nigel Benwell at Red Hat accordingly. The venue will be The Westminster Room, Red Hat, 20 York Road, London SE1 78D
So, as said our timing could not be better and we greatly look forward to hearing from Sir Harv.
Biography
Born and educated in Northern Ireland, Smyth joined the RAF in 1991 as a Direct Entrant via the Sixth Form Scholarship Scheme, and upon completion of flying training, spent 15 years as a frontline Harrier pilot and weapons instructor. He has extensive combat experience having flown hundreds of operational missions from both land bases and aircraft carriers over: Bosnia; Kosovo; Serbia; Iraq; and Afghanistan. In early staff roles Smyth worked in the UK Air & Space Warfare Centre and spent 2 tours in the F-35 Lightning programme, the latter based in Washington DC as the UK’s F-35 National Director.
In 2013 Smyth retrained as a Tornado pilot and became the Station Commander of RAF Marham, transitioning the base for F-35 integration. On promotion to Air Commodore (1*) in 2015 he became the Tornado Force Commander and in parallel, the UK’s first F-35 Lightning Force Commander. He followed this with a short appointment in the MOD as the 1* Head of Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP), before deploying to Qatar as Director of the 609th Combined Air and Space Operations Centre during the height of the Counter-Daesh campaign.
Promoted to Air Vice-Marshal (2*) in 2018, Smyth retrained as a Typhoon pilot and became Air Officer Commanding Number 1 Group (AOC 1Gp), where he was responsible for the Air Combat Group of the RAF. In 2020, Smyth then became UK MOD’s inaugural Director Space, setting the foundation for UK Space Command, building the Defence Space Programme, and producing UK’s foundational National and Defence Space Strategies.
Smyth was promoted to Air Marshal (3*) in 2022 and appointed as the RAF’s Deputy Commander (Operations): this role transitioned to become the UK Air and Space Commander in 2023 and was responsible for the RAF’s global air and space operations.
In 2024 Smyth became the first RAF officer to hold the role of Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations – DCDS (MSO)), responsible for the provision of military advice to senior leadership across government including the Prime Minister, the development of UK military strategy and its integration with partners across government and international allies, and the commissioning of all UK military operations. During this tour Smyth was a routine member of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), COBR, and the National Security Council.
Promoted to Air Chief Marshal (4*) in August 2025, Smyth was appointed as Chief of the Air Staff, responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of Royal Air Force operations, people and capability.
Smyth is a Patron of the Jon Egging Trust (a charity supporting troubled teenagers), President of RAF Rugby, President of RAF Rowing, President of the RAF Small Arms Association, a Board Member of the Freeman Air and Space Institute, and an ambassador for the RAF Charitable Trust. With strong links to Northern Ireland, Smyth is extremely proud to be Honorary Colonel for the 2nd Battalion (Northern Ireland) Army Cadet Force, Senior Mentor to the Northern Ireland Universities’ Air Squadron (NIUAS), and Patron of the Ulster Aviation Society, Ireland’s sole military aircraft museum.
Honours
2003 Distinguished Flying Cross – DFC
2010 Officer of the Order of the British Empire – OBE
2013 US Meritorious Service Medal
2018 US Legion of Merit
2020 Companion of the Order of the Bath – CB
2025 Knight Commander – KCB
And equally importantly, he is married to Carolyn and has two wonderful daughters Holly and Chloe
