9 July 2018

The Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Kevin Short, announced today that the new Vice Chief of Defence Force will be Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies.

Air Vice-Marshal Davies, currently the Chief of Air Force, will take up his new role in September.

Air Marshal Short said Air Vice-Marshal Davies had wide and extensive experience in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

Air Vice-Marshal Davies joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1984 as an Officer Cadet and trainee pilot. He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1999 for his role in the 1998 Antarctic rescue mission from McMurdo Station.

In 2000 he graduated from the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff Course in Alabama, before returning to New Zealand as the Assistant Director of Joint Operations and Plans at Defence Force Headquarters.

In 2003 he was appointed Commanding Officer of No.40 Squadron. In 2007 he took up a position at HQ Joint Forces New Zealand and a year later was promoted to Group Captain and posted to Air Staff as Assistant Chief Air Force Capability.

He then took up a dual role as Officer Commanding 485 Wing and Senior Commander Auckland. He was promoted to Air Commodore in 2013 and held a variety of command and headquarters positions, including Assistant Chief of Air Force Capability, Assistant Chief Strategic Commitments and Intelligence, and Air Component Commander.

Air Vice-Marshal Davies was promoted to his current rank in March 2016, when he assumed the appointment of Chief of Air Force.

He said it was a privilege to continue serving New Zealanders, especially the women and men of the NZDF, as a senior member of the leadership team.

“The last two and half years as Chief of Air Force have prepared me well for my next role as the Vice Chief of Defence, a position I am very much looking forward to.”

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