Robert Charlwood Richardson III (5 January 1918 – 2 January 2011) was an officer, first of the United States Army Air Corps, then with the United States Air Force, eventually attaining the rank of Brigadier General. A leader in the early days of the U.S. Air Force, he was a renowned expert in tactical nuclear warfare, NATO, and military long range planning. In his early career he is known for his controversial involvement in the World War II "Laconia Incident."