The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) is the 2-star commander of Air Command’s Central Business Pillar. Reporting directly to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), ACAS is responsible for Air TLB Portfolio and Performance Management, and RAF Command Plan development, ensuring the balanced delivery of the RAF Strategy through evidence-based decision making.
Air Vice-Marshal Tim Jones CBE was educated at Inverkeithing High School in Fife, Edinburgh University (BSc (Hons) Physics), King’s College London (MA Defence Studies) and the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College.
He joined the RAF in 1995 as a pilot and began his operational career in 1999 flying the Hercules C-130, first on LXX Squadron and subsequently on 24 Squadron and 30 Squadron. Qualified in all air-land and air-drop disciplines, his aircrew operational experience took him to East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and the Falkland Islands, as well as in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade as the RAF’s Lead Captain.
In 2013, he served in the British Embassy, Kabul in the Strategic Communications role for UK Forces. He has served in the Capability Sponsor (MOD) and in Finance and Military Capability Plans (MOD) and was responsible for devising the RAF’s Strategic Workforce Plan during the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
From 2016, Jones commanded RAF Brize Norton, the RAF’s largest station, before attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2018. From 2019, Jones was the UK’s Air Component Commander in the Middle East, before being appointed Head of Air Resources and Plans in HQ Air Command in 2020. In 2022, Jones became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans); in 2023 this merged with the role of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Strategy) and Jones became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff.
