A new face and a new title at the head of Naval aviation is at the heart of efforts to reassert the Fleet Air Arm’s position within the Royal Navy, Armed Forces and British public.

Rear Admiral Adrian Johns took over as the senior figure in the Naval air wing in the autumn as part of an overhaul of the upper echelons.

The post of Flag Officer Maritime Aviation (FOMA) – most recently held by Rear Admiral Scott Lidbetter – was abolished on October 1, so he handed over his duties to the new Rear Admiral, Fleet Air Arm, Admiral Johns.

FOMA had the joint responsibility of commanding 3 Group at RAF Strike Command in High Wycombe, which included the Navy’s FA2 Sea Harrier force.

But a reshuffle of the command and jet units in the Forces – front-line control of the Sea Harriers now falls under the Royal Air Force, headed by an RAF officer – means that the post has gone and required the Navy to shake up its senior post in the air wing.

In future a senior aviator or former carrier captain – Admiral Johns is both as a
former Sea King pilot and captain of helicopter carrier HMS Ocean – will hold the title of Rear Admiral, Fleet Air Arm, balancing it with another post. In the case of Admiral Johns, he will be Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (ACNS).

Senior officers hope by using ‘Fleet Air Arm’ in the new title it will give fresh identity to a branch which makes up one fifth of the entire Royal Navy.

Capt Chris Palmer, senior staff officer at Fleet Air Arm headquarters in Portsmouth, said it was vital that the Naval air wing retained its sense of identity and tradition.

“There’s a perception that everything military which flies belongs to the RAF, and that Culdrose and Yeovilton are Royal Air Force bases,” he said.

“Since the headquarters moved out of Yeovil there’s a feeling that the Fleet Air Arm has kept a low profile.”

Capt Palmer added: “To the ordinary guys, they will not notice a great difference day-to-day, but they will know that the Navy considers the air arm important enough to warrant a senior officer, and that someone is championing their cause.”

Beyond business duties fighting the Fleet Air Arm’s corner within the Royal Navy and with other branches of the Armed Forces, Admiral Johns will be heavily involved with the Fleet Air Arm’s heritage and veterans’ associations.