Air Marshal Christopher Harper is the Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Joint Force Command Headquarters at Brunssum in the Netherlands. The Headquarters principal focus is the operational lead and support of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Joining the Royal Air Force as an Officer Cadet in 1976, Air Marshal Harper was posted to 41 (Fighter) Squadron to fly the Jaguar aircraft before moving to serve as Jaguar qualified weapons instructor with No 31 and 14 Squadrons. He then took up an exchange appointment with the Canadian Air Force flying the multi-role CF-18 Hornet with No 421 Squadron. He commanded No 41 (Fighter) Squadron from 1994 to 1997 and, during this tour, was involved in active operations over Bosnia. He went on to serve as the Station Commander at RAF Coltishall from 1999 to 2001, during which time the Jaguar Force was continually involved in operations over Northern Iraq.

Air Marshal Harper's staff appointments have included the Ministry on Defence's Central Staff working on the Eurofighter project; Military Assistant to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces; Command Group Executive Officer at NATO's Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe; Air Commodore Typhoon at Headquarters No 1 Group; Director of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence, and Chief of Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Air Command. Most recently, as Air Officer Commanding Number 1 Group, he was responsible for the generation and delivery of combat air power for the Royal Air Force. Air Marshal Harper assumed his current position as Deputy Commander of Allied Joint Force Command on 31 March 2009.

A graduate of King's College London, the RAF Staff College and the Higher Command and Staff Course, he was appointed a CBE in 2002 and has been mentioned in despatches for his own involvement in air operations over Iraq. The Air Marshal is President of the Royal Air Force Flying Clubs Association and is also the Honorary President of No 1475 Squadron of the Air Training Corps.

Air Marshal Harper is married to Jan, has a son, Ben, and enjoys flying, shooting, running, a Harley-Davidson and cooking.