The Royal Air Force deployed in the Middle East has a new commander, with the arrival of Group Captain Bishop.
Group Captain Bishop, has replaced Group Captain Diggle, following the end of his tour of duty and will now take on the role of the RAF’s Deputy Air Component Commander, Middle East and Commanding Officer of 83 Expeditionary Air Group based in Qatar.
She joins the other nations’ Senior National Representatives in the US led global coalition conducting air operations to defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
The Group Captain is the senior RAF officer on operations in the Middle East following a re-organisation of the command structure in the summer. As Commanding Officer of 83 Expeditionary Air Group, she is responsible to the Air Component Commander, for the control and direction of 4 Expeditionary Air Wings and the delivery of UK national and Defence objectives across the Middle East. The Air Component Commander, previously an Air Commodore position based in Qatar since 2006, is now based in the UK at 11 Group, with responsibility for global RAF air operations.
Gp Capt Bishop is an experienced RAF helicopter pilot with previous operational experience in the Middle East.
