The Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) formerly the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation and Carrier Strike)[1] is a senior
Royal Navy appointment responsible for naval aviation. The post is also the successor to the Royal Navy's
Flag Officer for naval aviation in the British Isles, established since 1939.
Flag Officer, Naval Air Stations
The post of Flag Officer Naval Air Stations was established in May 1939 to provide land based support for the
Fleet Air Arm, then being transferred from the
Royal Air Force to the
Royal Navy.
Flag Officer, Air, Home flew his flag from
RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus); the post existed until 1963. He was responsible for shore-based air command working up squadrons to operational effectiveness, and after an Operational Readiness Inspection, delivering them to the Fleet.[4]
Vice-Admiral Sir Cloudesley Robinson: May 1945 (then retired)
Vice-Admiral Sir
John Hamilton: October 1962 – January 1964
Flag Officer, Naval Air Command
This post was created on 30 September 1963 as renaming of Flag Officer Air, Home, at the time a Vice-Admiral's command.[6]
In November 1970 the post of Flag Officer, Flying Training was disestablished. Sir
John Treacher, who was in post from June 1972, wrote in Life at Full Throttle that '..the tasks undertaken by the old Flying Training Command and Flag Officer Air (Home) had now been taken over by the Flag Officer Naval Air Command to form a single entity and the headquarters had been moved from
Lee-on-Solent to the Royal Naval Air Station at
Yeovilton.' In April 2010 the post was renamed Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Carriers & Aviation).
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard M. Smeeton: January 1964 – October 1965
Vice-Admiral Sir Donald C.E.F. Gibson: October 1965 – October 1968
Vice-Admiral Sir
John Cox: May 1982 – September 1983
Vice-Admiral Sir
Derek Reffell: September 1983 – September 1984
Rear-Admiral Linley Middleton: September 1984 – February 1987
Rear-Admiral
Roger Dimmock: February 1987 – August 1988
Rear-Admiral
Michael Layard: August 1988 – December 1990
Rear-Admiral Colin H.D. Cooke-Priest: December 1990 – February 1993
Rear-Admiral
Ian Garnett: February 1993 – June 1995
Rear-Admiral Terence W. Loughran: June 1995 – October 1998
Rear-Admiral
Iain Henderson: October 1998 – July 2001 - Flag Officer, Maritime Aviation[7]
Rear-Admiral Scott Lidbetter: July 2001 – 2003
Rear-Admiral Simon B. Charlier: September 2008 – April 2010
Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers)
In 2012, this post's responsibilities were officially described as '..ACNS(A&C) is responsible for delivering aviation Force Elements at Readiness in accordance with the RN plan and arising, contingent events. This includes all RN fixed and rotary wing assets, the two Naval Air Stations and the generation of aircraft carriers and carrier capability. He is the lead, on behalf of the Fleet Commander, for the development of the future Carrier Strike capability. As the Navy's Aviation Operational Duty Holder, he is personally, legally accountable for the safe execution of maritime aviation by all Royal Navy units, including aircraft, ships and submarines. ACNS(A&CS) is also Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm in which role, as a Head of a Naval Fighting Arm, he is responsible for the professional effectiveness, ethos and spirit of all Fleet Air Arm personnel.'[8] It has been renamed as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) (ACNS(A&C)) and Rear-Admiral Fleet Air Arm around 2019.