Tony Radakin was Chief of Staff, Joint Forces Command, from 2016 to 2018, and the Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff from 2018 to 2019.
24 Facts About Tony Radakin
2.
Tony Radakin was appointed Lord High Constable of England in 2023, and in that role, took part in the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
3.
Tony Radakin was born on 10 November 1965 in Oldham, Lancashire, England.
4.
Tony Radakin moved to Portishead, Somerset, when he was five years old.
5.
Tony Radakin studied law at the University of Southampton, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1989.
6.
Tony Radakin was sponsored through university by the Royal Navy.
7.
Tony Radakin continued his legal career alongside his naval service, and qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1996.
8.
Tony Radakin later studied international relations and defence studies at King's College London, completing a Master of Arts degree in 2000.
9.
Tony Radakin gained his commission in the Royal Navy on 20 October 1990.
10.
Tony Radakin was appointed Director of Force Development at the Ministry of Defence in November 2012.
11.
Tony Radakin was promoted to admiral and succeeded Admiral Sir Philip Jones as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in June 2019.
12.
In 2019, Tony Radakin initiated a programme of reform across the Royal Navy under the banner of Royal Navy Transformation.
13.
Tony Radakin was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 Birthday Honours.
14.
On 7 October 2021, it was announced that Tony Radakin was to become Chief of the Defence Staff on 30 November 2021.
15.
Tony Radakin relinquished the position of First Sea Lord to Admiral Sir Ben Key on 8 November 2021.
16.
Tony Radakin made his first Chief of Defence Staff speech to the Royal United Services Institute in December 2021.
17.
Tony Radakin stated on 7 January 2022 that the UK faced a number of security challenges from Russia and that an attempt to damage underwater communication cables could be considered by the UK as an "act of war".
18.
On 11 February 2022, Tony Radakin met with Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
19.
In September 2022, Tony Radakin paid tribute to Elizabeth II following her death.
20.
Tony Radakin described the relationship between the Queen and the Armed Forces as "deeply personal" and that the Armed Forces would perform their final duty to the Queen by participating in her state funeral.
21.
On 19 October 2022, Tony Radakin delivered the annual Lord Mayor of London Defence and Security Lecture in Mansion House, London.
22.
Tony Radakin discussed the wider security situation in Europe, focusing on Ukraine and Russia.
23.
Tony Radakin served as Lord High Constable of England at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2023.
24.
Tony Radakin is President of the Royal Navy Squash Association and the Armed Forces Tennis Association.