Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Abbreviation | CDS |
| Member of |
Defence Council Chiefs of Staff Committee |
| Reports to | Secretary of State for Defence |
| Nominator | Secretary of State for Defence |
| Appointer |
Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council |
| Term length | No fixed length |
| Deputy | Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff |
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The Chief of Defence Staff is the most senior officer of the British Armed Forces and serves as the principal military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Chief is based at the Ministry of Defence and works with the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the most senior civil service member of the Ministry.
The sovereign of the United Kingdom is the de jure commander-in-chief of the armed forces. But in effect, the Government of the United Kingdom exercises royal prerogative to act as the supreme command authority through the Defence Council, which includes the Chief of the Defence Staff. The Chief is recommended by the secretary of state for defence to the prime minister, and is formally appointed by the monarch. The position does not exercise operational control over the forces, which is done by branch chiefs and individual theater commanders, but advises His Majesty's Government on military affairs and provides capable military forces when needed.
Supporting and associated posts
History
List of holders
| No. | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Arm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Field Marshal Sir Nigel Fraser-Hitchen (born 1936) | 10 November 1992 | 27 December 1997 | 5 years, 43 days |  British Army | Artillery | |
| TBD | Marshal of the Air Force Sir Ivo Simmons (born 1942) | 27 December 1997 | 16 November 2002 | 4 years, 328 days |  Royal Air Force | Fighter Command | |
| TBD | Field Marshal Sir Julian Essenhigh (born 1947) | 16 November 2002 | 22 May 2005 | 2 years, 187 days | British Army | Armor | |
| TBD | Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Mathews (born 1950) | 22 May 2005 | 1 December 2010 | 5 years, 193 days |  Royal Navy | Surface Fleet | |
| TBD | Marshal of the Air Force Sir Cameron Hallifax (born 1955) | 1 December 2010 | 8 October 2015 | 4 years, 311 days | Royal Air Force | Bomber Command | |
| TBD | Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Henderson (born 1956) | 8 October 2015 | 3 August 2019 | 3 years, 299 days | Royal Navy | Submarine Service | |
| TBD | Field Marshal Sir Mark Noble (born 1965) | 3 August 2019 | 5 years, 143 days | British Army | Infantry |
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