Air Vice-Marshal Steve Pesce, AM

The Deputy Chief of Air Force acts as the manager of the Air Force Headquarters (AFHQ) and provides strategic leadership of AFHQ in the following domains:

  • Air Power concepts and doctrine
  • Enterprise Design Strategy
  • Preparedness
  • Policy
  • AFHQ Resource and Business Management
  • Corporate Governance
  • Reputation, brand management and heritage preservation
  • Holistic workforce and Cadet management
  • Personnel wellbeing mechanisms and organisational culture.

Air Vice-Marshal Steve Pesce joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1991 and graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1993. In 1996, he graduated from No.168 Pilot Course and has enjoyed a diverse flying career, accruing approximately 5500 flying hours on over 40 aircraft types.

Amassing 16 years in Air Mobility, Air Vice-Marshal Pesce deployed to East Timor, Solomon Islands, Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous contributions to humanitarian and disaster relief operations. He has operational experience as a DHC-4 Caribou and C-17A Globemaster captain, C-130J Hercules check captain and instructor, and as a PC-9A Qualified Flight Instructor.

Air Vice-Marshal Pesce is a Distinguished Graduate of the US National Test Pilot School, graduating in 2007 as Course Dux. He subsequently served as the Senior Test Pilot at Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU), conducting and supervising several developmental flight test programs.

Air Vice-Marshal Pesce’s command appointments include Commanding Officer of No. 36 Squadron and Officer Commanding 86 Wing. His staff appointments include Chief of Staff of Air Mobility Group and Chief of Staff to the Chief of Defence Force.

Air Vice-Marshal Pesce was awarded a Chief of Air Force Commendation in 2014, for his contribution to the enhancement of the C-17A and KC-30A Flying Management and Safety systems. In 2016, he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia, for the enhancement of heavy air mobility capability, which included the establishment of RAAF C-17 Air to Air Refuelling capability, as well as the commencement of RAAF operations in Antarctica.

Between 2022 and 2025, Air Vice-Marshal Pesce served as a Director General in Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, as the Deputy Air Commander Australia, and as the J8 in Headquarters Joint Operations Command. He assumed his current role of Deputy Chief of Air Force in January 2026.

Air Vice-Marshal Pesce holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from RMIT and a Master of Science in Flight Test and Evaluation. He completed the Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian War College in 2020. He is married to Rebecca and has two children, Eva and Adrian.