Current vice-chief of defence staff expected to take over from Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton later this year

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach is expected to be named as the next chief of the defence staff.



Peach is currently the vice-chief, a role that involves deputising for the current head of the armed forces, Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton. Reports indicate that Peach’s promotion was approved by the prime minister and Buckingham Palace this week, and he is expected to take over from Houghton later this year.

Peach is reported to have been among three candidates for the top job, and was chosen over the first sea lord, Adm Sir George Zambellas, and Gen Sir Richard Barrons. It is understood that David Cameron met all three men in Downing Street before making his decision.

Peach, a father of two, was born in 1956 in the West Midlands and went to Aldridge grammar school before receiving a BA at the University of Sheffield and an MPhil at the University of Cambridge. He also holds two honorary doctorates, from Kingston University and the University of Sheffield.

Commissioned into the RAF in 1977, he flew Canberras in a photographic reconnaissance role before three tours flying a Tornado GR1 in the UK and Germany, qualifying as a weapons and electronic warfare instructor. He commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Brüggen in Germany between 1994 and 1996. He has served in Iraq, Belize, Hong Kong and Germany. He commanded the air warfare centre at RAF Waddington from 2000 to 2003 and was director of general intelligence collection at the Ministry of Defence between 2003 and 2006.

He later served as chief of defence intelligence and deputy chairman of the joint intelligence committee from 2006 to 2009. He held the appointment of chief of joint operations at PJHQ (UK), the MoD’s worldwide operations command centre, from March 2009 to December 2011 before becoming the first commander of the UK joint forces command from December 2011 to April 2013. He was appointed as vice-chief of defence staff in May 2013.

Peach’s main challenge as head of the British military will be to lead efforts against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, as well as to try to help the deteriorating situation in Libya.

His profile on the UK government website notes that his “passion for amateur cooking and military history is undimmed”.

The chief of the defence staff is expected to remain politically neutral at all times. Houghton, Peach’s predecessor, courted controversy when he voiced concerns about the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s policies on Trident on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show last year.