High-flying husband and wife are BOTH in race to be the next chief of the Royal Air Force
ROYAL PAIR FORCE High-flying husband and wife are BOTH in race to be the next chief of the Royal Air Force
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A HIGH-FLYING husband and wife are in the race to be the next chief of the Royal Air Force, 'we can reveal.
Air Marshal Al Marshall and Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall are the most senior serving couple in UK Armed Forces' history.
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Air Marshal Al Marshall is one half of the RAF's most senior serving couple in history
Credit: AS1 Tomas Barnard RAF
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Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall is also in contention to become the head of the RAF
Credit: RAF
Both are tipped as potential successors to Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, who has been promoted to Chief of Defence Staff to lead all three Armed Forces this autumn.
Al, who joined up in 1991, is Air and Space Commander responsible for all air operations in the UK and overseas.
He flew Harrier jump jets in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia.
Former Tornado navigator Suraya, who joined up in 1993, is Assistant Chief of the Air Staff.
She was the first female weapons instructor and first woman to command one of the RAF's two operational groups.
She led No 2 Group, which included all RAF cargo squadrons, in 2021 — the same time Al led No 1 Group, with all the combat aircraft.
A source said: 'Talk about a power couple.
'Between them they've commanded every plane in the Air Force.
'Al is one rank senior so it would be more of a jump for Suraya but the leap's been made before.'
RAF insiders said the couple, who have two children, are up against Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Air Marshal Harv Smyth, who is favourite to replace Sir Rich.
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