Royal Australian Air Force Air Vice-Marshal David Titheridge is Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the Deputy Theater Air Component Commander to the Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. PACAF is responsible for Air Force activities spread over half the globe. The command supports 46,000 Airmen serving principally in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.
AVM Titheridge earned his commission from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1999 before graduating from pilot training in 2001 to fly P-3C and AP-3C Orions, and later P-8A Poseidon maritime warfare aircraft.
AVM Titheridge has over 4,000 hours flying, half of which were on named operations, and has deployed on multiple tours to the Middle East, Indian Ocean, South China Sea and East China Sea. He commanded the first Australian P-8A Squadron during the Poseidon’s introduction to Australian service for which he earned a Conspicuous Service Medal. AVM Titheridge commanded the 2018 inaugural Australian Operation to enforce sanctions on North Korea, embedded with the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force and US 7th Fleet. The deployment was notable for being the first time RAAF assets had conducted Operations from Japan in over 60 years.
At the Operational level, AVM Titheridge has performed Director and Division Chief roles at the Australian AOC, CAOC Nellis AFB, US 7th Fleet MOC and the PACAF 613th AOC, and was a JFACC for Pacific Sentry 2023. Staff roles include Staff Officer to the Chief of the RAAF and Director General Air Capability Enablers in Air Force HQ. AVM Titheridge’s most recent posting was on Secondment to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, providing Foreign Policy Advice to the Australian Prime Minister on the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the multilateral system.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Arts, History and Politics, University of New South Wales
2012 Australian Command & Staff College, Master of Military Studies, Australian National University
2016 Squadron Commanders Course
2021 Australian War College, GradDip in International Relations, Deakin University
2022 Australian CAPSTONE and OBOE Courses
2023 SES Leadership Course, National Security College, Australian National University
2024 FVEYS Rising Leaders Course, Royal College of Defence Studies, UK
2025 USAF CFACC course, Maxwell AFB, US
ASSIGNMENTS
1. 1997-1999, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra
2. 2000-2001, Pilots Course, Tamworth and RAAF Base Pearce
3. 2002-2006, Operational Pilot, Number 10 Squadron, P-3C & AP-3C Orion, RAAF Base Edinburgh
4. 2007-2008, Qualified Flying Instructor, Basic Flying Training School, RAAF Base East Sale
5. 2009-2011, Flight Commander, Number 292 Squadron, AP-3C, RAAF Base Edinburgh
6. 2012, Australian Command and Staff College, Canberra
7. 2013-2014, Chief of Combat Operations, Air and Space Operations Centre, Canberra
8. 2015, Staff Officer to the Chief of Air Force, Canberra
9. 2016, P-8 training Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
10. 2017-2018, Commanding Officer Number 11 Squadron, P-8A Poseidon, RAAF Base Edinburgh
11. 2019-2020, Air Advisor/Attache London, United Kingdom
12. 2021, Australian War College, Canberra
13. 2022-2023, Director General Air Capability Enablers, Air Force HQ, Canberra
14. 2024-2025, Assistant Secretary Global Interests, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Canberra
15. 2026-Present, Deputy Commander, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, JBPH-H, Hawaii
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,200
Aircraft Flown: CT-4B, PC-9, P-3B, P-3C, AP-3C, and P-8A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2003 Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp IRAQ 2003
2004 Clasp ICAT to Australian Active Service Medal
2005 Iraq Campaign Medal
2007 Australian Defence Medal
2008 Air Commander Australia Commendation
2011 Afghanistan Campaign Medal
2012 Defence Long Service Medal, First Clasp, Second Clasp
2013 Meritorious Unit Citation 92 Wing Operations FALCONER, CATALYST and SLIPPER
2014 Australian Operational Service Medal - Border Protection
2017/2022 Defence Long Service Medal, First Clasp
2019 Conspicuous Service Medal
2022 Defence Long Service Medal, Second Clasp
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Officer Cadet, January 1997
Pilot Officer (O1), February 2000
Flying Officer (O2), June 2001
Flight Lieutenant (O3), February 2004
Squadron Leader (O4), January 2009
Wing Commander (O5), January 2014
Group Captain (O6), December 2018
Air Commodore (O7), January 2021
Air Vice-Marshal (O8), November 2025
(Current as of January 2026)