Vice Admiral Alan David Richards, (born 1958) is a retired

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer who served as Chief of Defence Intelligence from 2012 to 2015.

Naval career

Richards joined the

in 1977.Vice Admiral Alan David Richards awarded Order of the Bath
Watford Observer, 18 June 2012 He became commanding officer of the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

and then of the frigate in which he saw operational service during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

. He went on to be Director of Force Development in 2002,

Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group The Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, (COMUKCSG) is a senior British Royal Navy appointment which commands the UK Carrier Strike Group. COMUKCSG, a Commodore, commands a total of 65 personnel, and is headquartered at HMNB Portsmou ...

in 2006,

Assistant Chief of Defence Staff The Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (ACDS) is a senior British military officer. There are a number of ACDS appointments and they are held by officers of two-star rank (rear admiral, air vice-marshal, or major general). They work in the Ministr ...

(International Security Policy) in 2007 and then Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Resources and Plans) in 2009.Ministry of Defence and Senior Tri-service Appointments
He became Chief of Defence Intelligence in January 2012 on promotion to vice admiral. In the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

(CB). Richards retired from the Royal Navy on 7 May 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Alan 1958 births Companions of the Order of the Bath Deputy Lieutenants of Hertfordshire Living people Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of the Gulf War