Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chief of the Defence Staff
Flag of the CDS
Incumbent Admiral Sir Tony Radakin since 30 November 2021
Ministry of Defence British Armed Forces
Abbreviation	CDS
Member of	Defence Council Chiefs of Staff Committee
Reports to	The Prime Minister Secretary of State for Defence
Nominator	Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer	The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister
Formation	1 January 1959
First holder	Marshal of the RAF Sir William Dickson
Deputy	Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the top military leader in the British Armed Forces. This person is the most important uniformed military advisor to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The CDS works at the Ministry of Defence. They work closely with the Permanent Under-Secretary, who is the most senior non-military official there. The CDS holds the highest rank among all serving officers in the armed forces.

The King or Queen is officially the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. However, the Government of the United Kingdom actually makes the decisions. They use their special powers to guide the armed forces through the Ministry of Defence's Defence Council. The CDS is a key member of this council.

Currently, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin is the CDS. He took over from General Sir Nick Carter in November 2021. Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton has been announced as the next CDS. He will start his role in September 2025. The Secretary of State for Defence suggests who should be CDS to the Prime Minister. Then, the King or Queen approves the choice.

What the Chief of the Defence Staff Does

The CDS has many important jobs. These include:

• Leading the defence efforts alongside the Permanent Secretary.
• Creating plans for the future of the Armed Forces. This includes how they will grow and change.
• Managing current military operations as the main commander.
• Building strong relationships with the armed forces of other countries.

People Who Help the CDS

The CDS has a main helper called the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff. Since 1997, this deputy has held a similar rank. Usually, they come from a different branch of the military than the CDS.

There are also several Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (DCDS) roles. These people support the Vice-Chief. Some of these roles include:

• Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations).
• Chief of Defence People.
• Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability.

The CDS works very closely with the Ministry of Defence's Permanent Under-Secretary. Both report directly to the Secretary of State for Defence. The CDS focuses on military actions and plans. The Permanent Under-Secretary handles money and rules for the Ministry.

A group called the Strategic Advisory Panel also helps the CDS.

History of the CDS Role

The job of Chief of the Defence Staff started in 1959. It was created because of new ideas about how different parts of the military could work together. These ideas became very important during the Second World War. The first person to hold the role was Marshal of the RAF Sir William Dickson. Before 1959, he was the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

From 1959 until the late 1970s, the CDS job rotated strictly between the three main military branches. This means an officer from the Navy, then the Army, then the Air Force would take the role. This rotation changed when Marshal of the RAF Sir Andrew Humphrey passed away.

From the start until 1997, the CDS was always given the highest rank in their military branch. For example, an Admiral of the Fleet for the Navy or a Field Marshal for the Army. However, after the Cold War, the British Armed Forces became smaller. So, since 1997, the CDS keeps their rank of Admiral, General, or Air Chief Marshal. These are still very high ranks.

Even though there's no rule against it, few Royal Marines officers reach a high enough rank to be considered for the CDS role. However, in 2016, a Royal Marine officer named Gordon Messenger became a general. He was then appointed as the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Starting in April 2025, the CDS will also be in charge of the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ). This means they will command the four service chiefs. They will also be responsible for designing forces and getting equipment for the armed forces.

List of Chiefs of the Defence Staff

No.	Picture	Chief of the Defence Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Life peerage	Ref
1		Dickson, WilliamMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson (1898–1987)	1 January 1959	12 July 1959	192 days	Royal Air Force	None
2		Mountbatten, LouisAdmiral of the Fleet Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900–1979)	13 July 1959	15 July 1965	6 years, 2 days	Royal Navy	Hereditary peerage, Earl Mountbatten of Burma
3		Hull, RichardField Marshal Sir Richard Hull (1907–1989)	16 July 1965	4 August 1967	2 years, 19 days	British Army	None
4		Elworthy, CharlesMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Elworthy (1911–1993)	4 August 1967	8 April 1971	3 years, 247 days	Royal Air Force	Baron Elworthy
5		Hill-Norton, PeterAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Hill-Norton (1915–2004)	9 April 1971	21 October 1973	2 years, 195 days	Royal Navy	Baron Hill-Norton
6		Carver, MichaelField Marshal Sir Michael Carver (1915–2001)	21 October 1973	24 October 1976	3 years, 3 days	British Army	Baron Carver
7		Humphrey, AndrewMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Humphrey (1921–1977)	24 October 1976	24 January 1977 †	92 days	Royal Air Force	None
-		Ashmore, EdwardAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore (1919–2016) Acting	9 February 1977	30 August 1977	202 days	Royal Navy	None
8		Cameron, NeilMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Neil Cameron (1920–1985)	31 August 1977	31 August 1979	2 years	Royal Air Force	Baron Cameron of Balhousie
9		Lewin, TerenceAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Terence Lewin (1920–1999)	1 September 1979	30 September 1982	3 years, 29 days	Royal Navy	Baron Lewin
10		Bramall, EdwinField Marshal Sir Edwin Bramall (1923–2019)	1 October 1982	31 October 1985	3 years, 30 days	British Army	Baron Bramall
11		Fieldhouse, JohnAdmiral of the Fleet Sir John Fieldhouse (1928–1992)	1 November 1985	9 December 1988	3 years, 38 days	Royal Navy	Baron Fieldhouse
12		Craig, DavidMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir David Craig (born 1929)	9 December 1988	1 April 1991	2 years, 113 days	Royal Air Force	Baron Craig of Radley
13		Vincent, RichardField Marshal Sir Richard Vincent (1931–2018)	2 April 1991	31 December 1992	1 year, 273 days	British Army	Baron Vincent of Coleshill
14		Robin Harding, PeterMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding (1933–2021)	31 December 1992	13 March 1994	1 year, 72 days	Royal Air Force	None
15		Inge, PeterField Marshal Sir Peter Inge (1935–2022)	15 March 1994	1 April 1997	3 years, 17 days	British Army	Baron Inge
16		Guthrie, CharlesGeneral Sir Charles Guthrie (born 1938)	2 April 1997	15 February 2001	3 years, 319 days	British Army	Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank
17		Boyce, MichaelAdmiral Sir Michael Boyce (1943–2022)	16 February 2001	2 May 2003	2 years, 75 days	Royal Navy	Baron Boyce
18		Walker, MichaelGeneral Sir Michael Walker (born 1944)	2 May 2003	28 April 2006	2 years, 361 days	British Army	Baron Walker of Aldringham
19		Stirrup, JockAir Chief Marshal Sir Graham "Jock" Stirrup (born 1949)	28 April 2006	29 October 2010	4 years, 184 days	Royal Air Force	Baron Stirrup of Marylebone
20		Richards, DavidGeneral Sir David Richards (born 1952)	29 October 2010	18 July 2013	2 years, 271 days	British Army	Baron Richards of Herstmonceux
21		Houghton, NickGeneral Sir Nicholas Houghton (born 1954)	18 July 2013	14 July 2016	2 years, 362 days	British Army	Baron Houghton of Richmond
22		Houghton, NickAir Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach (born 1956)	14 July 2016	11 June 2018	1 year, 332 days	Royal Air Force	Baron Peach
23		Houghton, NickGeneral Sir Nicholas Carter (born 1959)	11 June 2018	30 November 2021	3 years, 172 days	British Army	None
24		Radakin, TonyAdmiral Sir Tony Radakin (born 1965)	30 November 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 334 days	Royal Navy	Incumbent

Peerage for Former Chiefs

When Chiefs of Defence Staff retire, they usually receive a special honor. They are given a life peerage. This means they become a "peer" for life and can sit in the House of Lords. They are known as non-political crossbench peers. This appointment is suggested directly to the King or Queen by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can choose a few important public servants for this honor when they retire. For example, Sir Jock Stirrup became Baron Stirrup in 2010.

See Also

• Head of the British Armed Forces