I know that not everybody likes him, and some people I respect who know him far better do seem to have reservations, but with the luxury of being entirely unaffected by his appointment, I am over-joyed. I haven't spoken to him since he was a one-star but in that job (a difficult one which he did very well, and still found time for journos), and as Coltishall staish, I had some dealings with him, and he was an absolute joy.
Journo chums and I have been discussing this since before the weekend (I was the dimwit who said "surely not yet, is he senior enough already?"), and in this limited circle there was consensus that he's a very good bloke indeed, posh as can be (is he Lord Melchett's talented younger brother?) and with beautiful manners and interpersonal skills. Modest, self-deprecating, appreciative of his people, personally able, and with a great sense of humour, as a Staish and a one star he CERTAINLY had balls and drive. (But I'd recognise that many blokes with those attributes seem to lose them as they scramble higher up the greasy pole).
And as a Jag mate, he should have a healthy scepticism about the process of sloughing off more and more engineering function to BAE, having had direct experience of Jaguar 96/97. He'll also have a good idea of maintainability, deployability and expeditionary ops. He has a Tornado squadron 'tick in the box' and his Typhoon knowledge will be unrivalled among very senior officers.
I'd want to congratulate him, and add further to the burden of expectation!
Well done, sir, and jolly good luck.
PS: Why wasn't it Chris Moran? He must have been 'next in line' and he always seemed switched on and very able.