Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has formally handed over command of the UK’s Armed Forces, bringing an end to a distinguished four-decade career. He passes the role of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) to Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton.
As CDS since 2021, Admiral Radakin has acted as the professional head of the Armed Forces, principal military adviser to successive Prime Ministers and Defence Secretaries, and the nation’s military strategic commander.
His tenure coincided with a period of profound national and international change, including the war in Ukraine, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and the Coronation of King Charles III.
A Farewell on the Thames
To mark his final day in uniform, Admiral Radakin returned to his very first command, HMS Blazer. He and his family travelled up the River Thames aboard the small patrol vessel, escorted by its current crew. Tower Bridge was raised in his honour as a salute to his service.
Lieutenant Jack Dilworth, one of the Royal Navy’s most junior commanders, hosted the occasion. He said:
“It is a real privilege and honour to be able to celebrate Admiral Radakin’s retirement from the service, taking him back to remember where it all started in HMS Blazer. We hope he and his family looked back fondly on all his achievements as we escorted him along the Thames.”
Leadership in a Time of Conflict
Radakin’s leadership was defined by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In early 2022, he travelled to Moscow to confront General Valery Gerasimov about the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine’s border. After the invasion, he played a central role in coordinating NATO military assistance, expanding UK-led training schemes, and building close ties with Ukrainian generals Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Oleksandr Syrski.
Together with France’s General Thierry Burkhard, Radakin also helped design the “Coalition of the Willing” – a framework aimed at ensuring continued support for Kyiv should international focus waver.
His time in office also saw the Armed Forces respond to crises around the globe, from evacuating civilians in Sudan to striking Houthi positions in Yemen and protecting maritime trade in the Red Sea. He was one of the few Western leaders to meet China’s top general in Beijing earlier this year.
Reform and Modernisation
A noted moderniser, Admiral Radakin oversaw reforms set out in the latest Strategic Defence Review. These included strengthening the UK’s nuclear deterrent, restoring a tactical nuclear role to the RAF, developing hybrid air wings for Britain’s carriers, and exploring an expansion of the submarine fleet.
Before becoming CDS, Radakin served as First Sea Lord from 2019 to 2021, during which he expanded shipbuilding, reasserted a global Royal Navy presence, and played a key part in securing the AUKUS security pact with the United States and Australia.
A Distinguished Naval Career
Commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1990, Radakin served on patrol vessels, frigates and larger commands. His operational tours spanned the Iran-Iraq Tanker War, NATO operations in the Adriatic, counter-smuggling in Hong Kong and the Caribbean, and three tours in Iraq – each time in command.
Alongside his naval experience, he is a qualified barrister and holds an MA in International Relations and Defence Studies. He has completed senior leadership programmes at the London Business School and abroad.
Final Reflections
In his closing remarks as CDS, Admiral Radakin paid tribute to those he led:
“My abiding reflection from my four years as CDS is that the Armed Forces have stepped up to deliver all that was asked of them, at home and abroad. They are magnificent. Thank you to them, and their families, and the Civil Servants who support them.
“These are extraordinary times, but the United Kingdom remains safe through the commitment of everyone in Defence. Britain has been the beneficiary of a remarkable defence construct for the past 75 years, based on our status as a nuclear power, our membership of the world’s largest and strongest alliance – NATO – and our relationship with America. It is something to be celebrated, elevated, strengthened and preserved for the next 75 years.
“Looking back over my 40 years in the Navy, I am more convinced than ever the Armed Forces offers an amazing career for young people today. To all those at the start of their careers in the Royal Navy, Army and RAF, my message is to be bold, be ambitious, be demanding of yourselves and of your leadership, and always keep pushing to go further and faster.”
Admiral Radakin leaves office having overseen a pivotal period for the Armed Forces, with his reforms and strategic leadership set to shape Britain’s defence posture well into the future.
Images: MOD Crown Copyright News / Editorial Licence.
