Group Captain Paul Froome

Deputy to Assistant Chief of Staff, Combat Air, Air Capability Delivery Royal Air Force

Group Captain Paul Froome joined the Royal Air Force in 1989 as a cadet pilot on Liverpool University Air Squadron. Graduating in 1992, with Honours, in Mechanical Engineering, he then completed Officer Training and subsequently flying training, before being awarded his wings in September 1997 and posted to the Tornado GR1.

His first tour was on 31 Squadron serving at RAF Brüggen, Germany. During his tour he saw operational service over Iraq in support of Operation BOLTON and RESINATE SOUTH and was awarded the General Service Medal with Air Ops Iraq clasp. He also participated in multi-national exercises in USA, Canada, France, Norway and Australia.

Subsequent flying tours were from RAF Lossimeouth as an instructor on the Tornado GR4 Operational Conversion Unit, XV(R) Squadron and as the Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) pilot on 14 Squadron. During this latter tour he completed detachments to North America, Europe and 2 further operational detachments in support of air operations over Iraq as part of Operation TELIC for which he was awarded the Op TELIC medal.

Promoted to squadron leader in 2006, he initially completed an out of area tour in the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Al Udeid where he was responsible to the Air Officer Commanding 83 Expeditionary Air Group (EAG) for UK air operations over Iraq and Afghanistan. On return to the UK, Froome completed his Flight Commander tour on XV(R) Squadron as Officer Commanding Standards Flight.

Froome has served in a number of staff appointments including the Permanent Joint Head Quarters in Northwood, London, Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy following promotion to wing commander in 2011, and in the Finance and Military Capability area within the Ministry of Defence Main Building in London.

Returning to RAF Lossiemouth in 2015, Group Captain Froome commanded XV(R) Squadron for its final 2 years, closing the Squadron on 31 March 2017 and flying the last station-based Tornado GR4 out on 8 May. Subsequently, he was deployed once again to 83 EAG in support of Operation SHADER and awarded the Op SHADER medal. On his return from Al Udeid, Froome took up the position of Lightning Force Headquarters Liaison Officer in the F35 Integration Office in the Pentagon. He was appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2018 for his work in Command of XV(R) Squadron.

On returning to the UK in mid-2021, Group Captain Froome completed another Out of Area assignment in the CAOC, this time as the Battle Director, where he was directly responsible to the US 3* Combined Forces Air Component Commander for the delivery of air power in the Central Command Joint Operational Area.

In April 2022, Froome was assigned to the Air Capability area within the Royal Air Force Air Command, working in the Combat Air Capability Delivery portfolio with the role of Programme Director for Next Generation Operational Training with responsibility for synthetic and live elements.