On 28 March the Minister for Defence Senator the Hon. Christopher Pyne, MP, announced Chief of Joint Operations Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, AO, DSC, would replace Air Marshal Leo Davies, AO, CSC, as Chief of Air Force from 4 July 2019.Major General Greg Bilton, AM, CSC, will assume the position of Chief of Joint Operations.
AIRMSHL Hupfeld joined the RAAF in 1980, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 from the RAAF Academy. During his flying career he has flown the Mirage III0 and the F/A-18A/B Hornet, and qualified as a Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) in 1989.
AIRMSHL Hupfeld has held command positions including Commanding Officer (CO) 75SQN including on Operations Bastille and Falconer in 2003, Officer Commanding (OC) 81WG, Director of the Combined Air and Space Operations Centre in the Middle East Area of Operations, Commander Air Combat Group (CACG) and Air Commander Australia (ACAUST).
He has also served as Deputy Director and Director Aerospace Combat Development, Head Capability Systems Division, acting Chief Capability Development Group (CDG) (during the First Principles Review implementation and disbandment of CDG) and Head Force Design in Vice Chief of Defence Force (VCDF) Group.
In 2015 Air Marshal Hupfeld was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force in senior command and staff appointments.