Service Career
Anderson was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was educated at the Belfast Royal Academy and King's College London (MA). He was commissioned as an Acting Pilot Officer in July 1979, being regraded to Pilot Officer in July 1980 following Initial Officer Training, and then promoted to Flying Officer in July 1981. He began his operational flying career in 1983 on the Tornado Ground Attack aircraft and served successively on front-line squadrons, including an exchange tour with the Royal Australian Air Force flying the F111, and operational deployments to the Middle East; being promoted to Flight Lieutenant in July 1984 and Squadron Leader in July 1989.
In January 1997 he was promoted to Wing Commander and, in 1999, as Officer Commanding 14 Squadron, Anderson led the RAF Tornado commitment to the NATO Operation Allied Force over Kosovo, for which he was admitted to the Distinguished Service Order. Promotion to Group Captain in July 2000 was accompanied by appointment as the Station Commander of RAF Brüggen in Germany, in which role he oversaw the closure of the RAF's last overseas Main Operating Base and the return of its personnel to the United Kingdom.
In September 2003 Anderson was appointed as Head of Deep Theatre Attack Capability, a 1-star appointment at the Ministry of Defence, his promotion to Air Commodore following in July of the following year. After the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2005, he was appointed Commandant of the Air Warfare Centre (and Assistant Chief of Staff - Intelligence at Strike Command) in August of that year. In March 2007 Anderson was promoted to Air Vice Marshal, moving to the Ministry of Defence as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. In the 2009 Birthday Honours List he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and in 2010 was the recipient of the Curtis Sword, awarded by Aviation Week and Space Technology for leadership and cooperation in transatlantic relations.
Anderson was promoted to Air Marshal in April 2010, his initially announced appointment being as Deputy Commander-in-Chief - Operations at Air Command, but this was cancelled in order for him to be appointed the first Director-General of the new Military Aviaton Authority, an independent organisation responsible for regulating and assuring operational and technical air safety within the UK military.
Anderson was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2013 New Year Honours List and is due to relinquish his appointment in April 2013.
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