Chris Harper (RAF Officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Christopher Nigel Harper KBE
is a Royal Air Force Officer, and is currently the United Kingdom Military Representative to NATO and the European Union, having served for two years as Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands. Prior to that appointment he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
in the UK.
in Dulwich
and King's College London
, Harper joined the Royal Air Force in the Flying branch in August 1976 and was assigned to the SEPECAT Jaguar
force, serving with 41(F)
, 31
and 14
Squadrons. He was given command of 41(F) Squadron in October 1994 and was actively involved in operations over Bosnia before reliquishing his command in 1997. In 1999 he was appointed Station Commander at RAF Coltishall
and in that capacity was involved in operations over Iraq
until he left the station in 2001. He was appointed CBE
in December 2001 and was Mentioned in Despatches for actions in the Gulf in April 2002.
He went on to be Director of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence
in 2004, Chief of Staff (Operations) at Air Command
in 2005 and Air Officer Commanding, No. 1 Group
in July 2007 and having been promoted to Air Marshal
was appointed Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum in April 2009.
He was appointed UK Military Representative to NATO and the EU in March 2011 and promoted KBE
in June 2011.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Christopher Nigel Harper KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is a Royal Air Force Officer, and is currently the United Kingdom Military Representative to NATO and the European Union, having served for two years as Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands. Prior to that appointment he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
in the UK.
Service career
Educated at Alleyn's SchoolAlleyn's School
Alleyn's School is an independent, fee-paying co-educational day school situated in Dulwich, south London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of the historic Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation, which also included James Allen's Girls' School , Dulwich...
in Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
and King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, Harper joined the Royal Air Force in the Flying branch in August 1976 and was assigned to the SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
force, serving with 41(F)
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
, 31
No. 31 Squadron RAF
No. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-History:The squadron was formed at Farnborough on October 11, 1915. Its first deployment was to Risulpur, India with its BE2Cs and Farmans, and during this time it took...
and 14
No. 14 Squadron RAF
No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:...
Squadrons. He was given command of 41(F) Squadron in October 1994 and was actively involved in operations over Bosnia before reliquishing his command in 1997. In 1999 he was appointed Station Commander at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
and in that capacity was involved in operations over Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
until he left the station in 2001. He was appointed CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in December 2001 and was Mentioned in Despatches for actions in the Gulf in April 2002.
He went on to be Director of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 2004, Chief of Staff (Operations) at Air Command
RAF Air Command
Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire....
in 2005 and Air Officer Commanding, No. 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
in July 2007 and having been promoted to Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
was appointed Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum in April 2009.
He was appointed UK Military Representative to NATO and the EU in March 2011 and promoted KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in June 2011.