UK appoints new commander of National Cyber Force

The United Kingdom appointed a new commander for its National Cyber Force (NCF) this week, marking the third leadership change since the force’s inception in 2020. The NCF, a key element of the UK’s efforts to consolidate its offensive cyber capabilities, is responsible for countering state and terrorist threats. The force’s mission is to conduct daily operations while adhering to a doctrine emphasizing accountability and precision in its cyber operations, though details on ethical oversight remain limited.

The NCF was established to integrate Britain’s defense and intelligence communities under a unified command. The force’s previous commanders were drawn from either side of that partnership. The inaugural commander, James Babbage, came from the intelligence world, having been an officer at GCHQ for nearly 30 years before his identity was publicly acknowledged in early 2023 as the force published its first public doctrine paper. Babbage led the NCF until later that year, when he joined the National Crime Agency where he is currently the director general for threats, attempting to reduce serious and organized crime.

His successor, Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes, joined in October 2023 from the armed forces, where he had served as director for cyber, intelligence and information integration at Strategic Command. The force’s other constituent partners — the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory — have not yet contributed commanders.

The NCF is described as carrying out operations on a daily basis to counter state threats, support military operations and disrupt terrorists and serious criminals. In its 2023 paper, the NCF presented the country as a “responsible and democratic cyber power,” arguing that its offensive operations — unlike the reckless attacks the British government has attributed to states such as Russia and China — are “accountable,” “precise” and “calibrated.”

Plans to establish the force’s permanent headquarters, a purpose-built campus at Samlesbury in Lancashire, were described as “progressing as scheduled” earlier this year. The government funding for the NCF has been committed to 2030. A spokesperson for GCHQ said: “We can confirm Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes, CB, OBE has completed his full tenure as Commander National Cyber Force, and a new Commander has now taken up the post.”