Chief of the Defense Staff (United Kingdom)

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Flag of the Chief of the Defense Staff

The UK Chief of the Defense Staff , as Chief of Defense Staff, is the military commander of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and chief military adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the government. In this role he reports to the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister .

History and responsibilities

The post of Chief of the Defense Staff was created in 1959 to implement the new concept of joint operations that was at the forefront of World War II . The first incumbent, Marshal of the Royal Air Force William Forster Dickson , had been Chairman of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff since 1956. Such a personal post did not exist before 1956, so that the chiefs of staff of the three branches of the British Army , Royal Navy and Royal Air Forcetook turns chairing their meetings. Since the creation of the post in 1959, the appointment of the Chief of the Defense Staff took place until the middle / end of 1979 according to a strict rotation system between the three branches of the armed forces. The first break in this rotation system came after the unexpected death of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Andrew Humphrey , who died on January 24, 1977 after only 92 days in office. In the 1980s, the two naval admirals Terence Lewin and John Fieldhouse held the post for a total of six years. In recent years there has been preferential occupation by army generals.

Since the creation of the post, the respective incumbent was also promoted to the highest rank of his respective armed forces, i.e. to Marshal of the Royal Air Force , Admiral of the Fleet or Field Marshal and thus to a rank according to the NATO rank code OF -10 . After the end of the Cold War , the associated reduction in the number of troops in the armed forces and the additional reason that no five-star ranks should be awarded in peacetime, the respective office holder has a rank as admiral , general corresponding to the NATO rank code OF-9 or Air Chief Marshal .

The Chief of the Defense Staff is primarily with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense ( Permanent Secretary responsible) for the defense and development of defense strategies, including the future development of the armed forces and put them together with the Permanent Secretary of the Defense Minister. As strategic commander of the armed forces, he also leads current military operations and maintains relations with the armed forces of other countries.

In addition, the Chief of Defense Staff is chairman of the defense staff, next to him the deputy chief of the defense staff ( Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff ) and the three chiefs of staff of the armed forces. These are the Chief of Army Staff ( Chief of the General Staff of the British Army ), the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff ( First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy ) and the Chief of the Air Staff ( Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force ).

The current Chief of the Defense Staff is General Sir Nick Carter .

List of Chiefs of the Defense Staff

Rank Surname Armed forces Beginning of the term of office Term expires Term of office
Marshal of the Royal Air Force William Forster Dickson Royal Air Force January 1, 1959 July 12, 1959 192 days
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma Royal Navy July 13, 1959 July 15, 1965 6 years, 2 days
Field Marshal Richard Hull British Army July 16, 1965 4th August 1967 2 years, 19 days
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Charles Elworthy Royal Air Force 4th August 1967 April 8, 1971 3 years, 247 days
Admiral of the Fleet Peter Hill-Norton Royal Navy April 9, 1971 October 21, 1973 2 years, 195 days
Field Marshal Michael Carver British Army October 21, 1973 October 23, 1976 3 years, 2 days
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Andrew Humphrey Royal Air Force October 24, 1976 January 24, 1977 92 days
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Ashmore Royal Navy February 9, 1977 August 30, 1977 202 days
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Neil Cameron Royal Air Force August 31, 1977 August 31, 1979 2 years, 0 days
Admiral of the Fleet Terence Lewin Royal Navy September 1, 1979 September 30, 1982 3 years, 29 days
Field Marshal Edwin Bramall British Army October 1, 1982 October 31, 1985 3 years, 30 days
Admiral of the Fleet John Fieldhouse Royal Navy November 1, 1985 December 9, 1988 3 days, 38 days
Marshal of the Royal Air Force David Craig Royal Air Force December 9, 1988 April 1, 1991 2 years, 113 days
Field Marshal Richard Vincent British Army April 2, 1991 December 31, 1992 1 years, 273 days
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Peter Robin Harding Royal Air Force December 31, 1992 March 13, 1994 1 years, 72 days
Field Marshal Peter Inge British Army March 15, 1994 April 1, 1997 3 years, 17 days
general Charles Guthrie British Army April 2, 1997 February 15, 2001 3 years, 319 days
admiral Michael Boyce Royal Navy February 16, 2001 May 2, 2003 2 years, 75 days
general Michael Walker British Army May 2, 2003 April 28, 2006 2 years, 361 days
Air Chief Marshal Jock stirrup Royal Air Force April 28, 2006 October 29, 2010 4 years, 184 days
general David J. Richards British Army October 29, 2010 18th July 2013 2 years, 271 days
general Nicholas Houghton British Army 18th July 2013 July 14, 2016 2 years, 363 days
Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach Royal Air Force July 14, 2016 ? ?
general Nick Carter British Army ?

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