The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) is a senior appointment in the
Royal Air Force. The incumbent is the deputy to the
Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1969, and from 2023 to present. The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formerly the Deputy Commander Capability, is responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of
Royal Air Force capability, including people, equipment, infrastructure, and training. The appointee is a Member of the United Kingdom's
Air Force Board as the
Air Member for Personnel and Capability due to their position.[1]
The current Deputy Chief of the Air Staff is Air Marshal
Paul Lloyd.[2]
History
The post was created on 3 January 1918 as part of the preliminary work before the creation of the RAF and the incumbent sat on the
Air Council. However, with the establishment of the RAF on 1 April 1918, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was removed from the Air Council. From the mid-1920s to 1938, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was double-hatted as the RAF's Director of Operations and Intelligence. In 1930, when
Trenchard stepped down as Chief of the Air Staff, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was once again appointed to the Air Council. The responsibilities on the Air Force Board were split differently from 1967 until the merger of Personnel and Training Command with
Strike Command to form
RAF Air Command on 1 April 2007. This appointment is currently held concurrently with the
Air Member for Personnel.[3]