Sir Stephen Hillier

Sir Stephen Hillier
Name	Sir Stephen Hillier
Birth date	1959
Birth place	United Kingdom
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Serviceyears	1977–2016
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands	Royal Air Force, Air Command (RAF)
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Sir Stephen Hillier is a retired senior officer of the Royal Air Force who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2013 to 2016. His career spanned operational flying, staff appointments, multinational coalition work and strategic leadership during periods of capability change and expeditionary operations. He subsequently undertook senior roles in aerospace industry and multilateral organisations.

Early life and education

Born in 1959 in the United Kingdom, Hillier was educated at a local grammar school before joining the Royal Air Force College Cranwell as an officer cadet. He undertook professional military education at Royal College of Defence Studies and completed staff training at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. Throughout his career he pursued advanced courses allied to defence acquisition at institutions associated with Defence Equipment and Support, and attended seminars linked to the NATO Defence College and the Royal United Services Institute.

Royal Air Force career

Hillier was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1977 and trained as a fast-jet pilot on types such as the Panavia Tornado and associated variants. Early operational postings included squadrons based at RAF Marham and RAF Lossiemouth, where he served in roles spanning frontline conversion, weapons employment and squadron leadership. Promoted through the ranks, he commanded No. 31 Squadron RAF and later served as Station Commander at RAF Coningsby, overseeing Typhoon force integration linked to the Eurofighter Typhoon programme and multinational exercises with units from United States Air Force and other NATO air arms.

Staff appointments included roles at Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) headquarters where he worked on capability planning, resource allocation and strategic procurement, interacting with organisations such as BAE Systems, Airbus Defence and Space and Defence Equipment and Support. He served as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) contributing to UK operations in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and was Director-General responsible for air capability development during debates over platforms including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and unmanned systems.

Appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief and then Commander of RAF Air Command, he was promoted to Air Chief Marshal and became Chief of the Air Staff in 2013. In that capacity he provided operational advice to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Secretary of State for Defence (United Kingdom), and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during RAF contributions to campaigns over Iraq, Syria, and NATO air policing missions in the Baltic states. His tenure involved oversight of force structure reviews, basing negotiations with local authorities such as councils in Lincolnshire and engagement with defence industry partners including Rolls-Royce plc.

NATO and international roles

Hillier represented the United Kingdom at senior NATO fora and worked closely with the North Atlantic Council, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and allied air chiefs from nations such as France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Turkey. He participated in planning for collective air defence, expeditionary air operations, and interoperability initiatives across systems like Link 16 and coalition logistics frameworks involving United States European Command and Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum. Hillier engaged with multinational capability projects including the Combined Air Operations Centre concept, and contributed to dialogues with partner states on force posture in regions like the Baltic Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

International liaison extended to defence-industrial engagement with companies and agencies such as Northrop Grumman, Thales Group, Leonardo S.p.A., and the European Defence Agency, and to cooperation with organisations including the United Nations on peacekeeping air mobility and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on regional security measures.

Appointments and honours

Hillier received progressive honours reflecting service and merit. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire early in his career and later advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He was awarded campaign and operational service medals associated with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and received foreign decorations from allied states in recognition of coalition contributions. After retiring from active service in 2016 he accepted non-executive and advisory appointments with organisations including Airbus, roles on boards related to aerospace and defence technology, and honorary positions with institutions such as the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Personal life

Hillier is married and has children, and has taken an active interest in aviation heritage institutions such as the Imperial War Museums and the RAF Museum. He supports veterans’ welfare through charities including the Royal British Legion and engages with academic and think-tank communities at organisations like the Royal United Services Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Hillier has delivered lectures at universities and defence colleges, contributed to panel discussions at events hosted by Chatham House and Aspen Institute, and remained publicly engaged on matters relating to air power, procurement and allied cooperation.

Category:Royal Air Force air marshals Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:1959 births Category:Living people