Stuart Atha joined the RAF in 1984 after reading mathematics and physics and flying with the Air Squadron at Glasgow University. Following his first tour as a flying instructor on the Hawk aircraft, Atha flew the Harrier GR7 from 1990 to 2003 serving in Germany and the UK as a front-line pilot, flight commander and ultimately squadron commander. His staff tours have included posts in the Air Warfare Centre (1998–99) and the Directorate of Operational Capability. Following the latter, he served from 2003 to 2005 as the Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup. Between 2006 and 2008 Atha commanded Royal Air Force Coningsby. As the Typhoon Force Commander he oversaw the development, and operational declaration, of Typhoon in the Air Defence and Ground Attack roles. Whilst at RAF Coningsby, Atha also had the privilege of displaying the Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Atha deployed in May 2009 to the Gulf region as the Air Officer Commanding No 83 Expeditionary Air Group and the United Kingdom Air Component Commander and following his return to the UK in early 2010 became Head of Joint Capability at the Ministry of Defence.
With over 4,000 flying hours (mostly on Hawk, Harrier and Typhoon) Atha has flown operationally in the UK, the Balkans and Iraq. He was the first RAF pilot to lead a NATO formation in combat (Operation DELIBERATE FORCE Bosnia 1995) and has flown further combat missions in support of Operation ALLIED FORCE (Kosovo 1999) and Operation TELIC (Iraq 2003).
Following Operation ALLIED FORCE, Atha led an Air Warfare Centre team into Kosovo to examine the effectiveness of the RAF’s bombing, and in 2003 he led the Ministry of Defence team that analysed the operational lessons identified by all three Services during Operation TELIC. In October 2003 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for service over Iraq. As Air Officer Commanding 83 Expeditionary Air Group, Atha commanded the UK Air Component in the Gulf Region and Afghanistan, supporting a range of operations including Operations TELIC and HERRICK. Atha attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at Bracknell in 1999/2000 and Higher Command and Staff Course in 2006. In 2009 Atha was a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies before his operational deployment to the Gulf.
This meeting was chaired by James Hackett, Editor of The Military Balance, and took place in the fourth floor meeting room at Arundel House, 13–15 Arundel Street, Temple Place, London WC2R 3DX.
