// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Ian Townsend a good town planner? Yes, he's got a lot of insight.
Ian Townsend | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Air Vice Marshal Townsend | |
| Nickname | "Cab"[1] |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Service years | 1992–present |
Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Commands | No. 22 Group RAF No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Marham |
Conflicts | Iraq War War in Afghanistan War against the Islamic State |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service |
Air Vice Marshal Ian Jon Townsend CBE is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was the officer commanding RAF Marham from 2017 to 2019, the Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group RAF from May 2023 to November 2025, and currently serves as the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff.
RAF career
[edit]Townsend was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 30 July 1992.[2] After initial pilot training, he was assigned to No. IV Squadron, which then flew the Harrier GR7.[3] He became a Qualified Weapons Instructor in 2000.[3] With his squadron he undertook tours in the Balkans (1998), Iraq War in 2003, and during the War in Afghanistan.[4]
He became station commander at RAF Marham in July 2017.[5][6] He was then commander of No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing at RAF Akrotiri in September 2019, before becoming Assistant Chief of Staff, Capability Strategy at RAF Air Command in December 2021.[7] He took command of No. 22 Group RAF in May 2023.[8] In November 2025, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff.[1]
Townsend was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2003 and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 Birthday Honours.[9][10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Air Vice-Marshal Ian 'Cab' Townsend". Royal Air Force. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ↑ "No. 53080". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 October 1992. p. 17528.
- 1 2 "Military Flight Training: Air Vice-Marshal Ian Townsend". Defence iQ. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Assistant Chief of the Air Staff". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "RAF Marham's new commander Group Capt "Cab" Townsend is thrilled to be back in the air". Eastern Daily Press. 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ↑ "RAF Marham Announcement". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ↑ "Ian Townsend CBE". IT²EC 2024. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ↑ "No 22 Group". 2023-10-02.
- ↑ "No. 57100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 2003. p. 9.
- ↑ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B8.