Teodoro Esteban López Calderón Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Calderón.

Quick facts for kids Teodoro Esteban López Calderón


Chief of the Defence Staff
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 January 2021
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Pedro Sánchez
Preceded by	Miguel Ángel Villarroya
Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy
In office 1 April 2017 – 27 January 2021
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Mariano Rajoy (2017–2018) Pedro Sánchez (2018–present)
Preceded by	Jaime Muñoz-Delgado
Succeeded by	Antonio Martorell Lacave Fausto Escrigas Rodríguez (Acting)

Personal details
Born	Teodoro Esteban López Calderón (1954-05-03) 3 May 1954 (age 71) Cartagena, Spain
Alma mater	Escuela Naval Militar
Military service
Allegiance	Spain
Branch/service	Spanish Navy
Years of service	1973—present
Rank	Admiral General
Commands	Villaamil (P-04) Cataluña (F73) 2nd Minesweeper Squadron 41st Escort Squadron Naval Action Group 2 Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy Chief of the Defence Staff
Battles/wars	Operation Active Endeavor

Teodoro Esteban López Calderón (born 3 May 1954) is a high-ranking officer in the Spanish Navy. He currently serves as the 12th Chief of the Defence Staff for the Spanish Armed Forces. He took on this important role on 27 January 2021. Before that, he was the Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy from 2017 to 2021.

Life and Career of Teodoro López Calderón
Awards and Decorations
Personal Life
See also

Life and Career of Teodoro López Calderón

Teodoro López Calderón was born in 1954 in the city of Cartagena. He joined the Spanish Navy in 1973 after finishing his studies at the Escuela Naval Militar. He is an expert in electronics, tactics, and weapons systems. He also took many special courses both in Spain and other countries. These courses included the Senior Course at the NATO Defense College.

Naval Commands and Missions

During his career, he commanded several ships and groups. He was in charge of the patrol vessel Villaamil (P-04). He also led the 2nd Minesweeper Squadron and the frigate Cataluña (F73). Later, he commanded the 41st Escort Squadron and the Naval Action Group 2.

While leading the Naval Action Group 2, López Calderón took part in Operation Active Endeavor. This mission involved Spanish ships working to keep the seas safe. He also served on other Spanish Navy ships like the Descubierta (F31) and the frigates Asturias (F74), Extremadura (F75), and Numancia (F83).

Important Staff Roles

López Calderón also held many important staff positions. He was the Chief of Staff for the 21st Escort Squadron. He also worked with the "Delta" Group, which helped monitor sea borders. This group worked to prevent illegal activities like weapons smuggling.

He also served at the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command in 1997. He was part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. He also worked as a technical adviser for the Minister of Defense.

Leadership in the Spanish Armed Forces

On 31 March 2017, the Council of Ministers chose him to become the new Chief of Staff of the Navy. In this role, he made it clear that the Navy's duty is always to rescue people in danger at sea. He stated that if any Spanish warship found a boat with people in danger, they would rescue them.

In January 2021, he was appointed as the 12th Chief of Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces. This is a very high leadership position in the military.