Chief of Defence | |
---|---|
Commandant der Strijdkrachten | |
Armed forces of the Netherlands | |
Style | His Excellency |
Abbreviation | CDS |
Member of | Central Staff |
Reports to | Minister of Defence |
Precursor | Chief of the Defence Staff |
Formation | 5 September 2005 |
First holder | General Dick Berlijn |
Deputy | Vice Chief of Defence |
Website | (in English) Chief of Defence |
The Chief of Defence (Dutch : Commandant der Strijdkrachten, CDS) is the highest-ranking officer in the Netherlands Armed Forces and is the principal military advisor to the minister of defence. On behalf of the minister of defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the armed forces. The chief of defence is in charge of the central staff and is the direct commanding officer of all the commanders of the branches of the armed forces. In this capacity, the chief of defence directs all the activities of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. He is also in charge of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, when it is operating under the guise of the minister of defence.
The current position of Chief of Defence (CHOD) was created on 5 September 2005, when it replaced the existing role of Chef-Defensiestaf (Chief of the Defence Staff) and was abbreviated as CDS. Just like its predecessor role the position of Chief of Defence will rotate between the branches of the military; the first Chief of Defence was General Dick Berlijn, of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The position of Chief of Defence is subsequently held by a Four-star officer with the rank of General or Lieutenant Admiral
The main role of the chief of defence is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Central Staff of the Armed Forces of The Netherlands. He makes operational policy and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the armed forces. The chief of defence is the direct commanding officer of the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces.
The branch commanders are responsible for preparedness and actual deployment of their military personnel in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Regarding operational planning and deployment, the branch commanders take their orders directly from the Chief of Defence.
The Royal Marechaussee (Gendarmerie) does not answer to the Chief of Defence directly, but rather to the secretary-general for the Ministry of Defence. The current secretary-general is Maarten Schurink.
No. | Portrait | Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | General Cornelis Snijders (1852–1939) | 31 July 1914 | 9 November 1918 | 4 years, 101 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army | |
2 | Lieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop (1852–1939) | 9 November 1918 | 20 November 1919 | 1 year, 11 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
Vacant Interbellum | ||||||
3 | Izaak Reijnders (1879–1966) | General28 August 1939 | 6 February 1940 | 162 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Henri Winkelman (1876–1952) | General6 February 1940 | 15 May 1940 | 99 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
Vacant German occupation | ||||||
5 | Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1911–2004) | General3 September 1944 | 13 September 1945 | 1 year, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army / Royal Netherlands Navy | |
6 | Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | General13 September 1945 | 1 January 1949 | 3 years, 110 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
No. | Portrait | Chairman of the United Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | General1 January 1949 | 5 January 1951 | 2 years, 4 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
2 | Vice admiral Edzard Jacob van Holthe (1896–1967) | 5 January 1951 | 10 January 1953 | 2 years, 5 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
3 | Fons Aler (1896–1981) | Lieutenant general10 January 1953 | 1 October 1953 | 264 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
4 | Ben Hasselman (1898–1984) | General1 October 1953 | 1 November 1957 | 4 years, 31 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
5 | Heije Schaper (1906–1996) | Lieutenant general1 November 1957 | 10 May 1959 | 1 year, 190 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
6 | Lieutenant admiral Henry Pröpper (1906–1995) | 10 May 1959 | 10 May 1962 | 3 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
7 | Gillis le Fèvre de Montigny (1901–1982) | General10 May 1962 | 5 May 1965 | 2 years, 360 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
8 | Hein Zielstra (1908–1985) | General5 May 1965 | 30 December 1968 | 3 years, 239 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
9 | Hugo van den Wall Bake (1913–1981) | Lieutenant admiral5 January 1969 | 15 January 1972 | 3 years, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
10 | Willem van Rijn (1915–1997) | Lieutenant general15 January 1972 | 1 November 1973 | 1 year, 290 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
11 | Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | General1 November 1973 | 10 December 1976 | 3 years, 39 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | General10 December 1976 | 1 November 1980 | 3 years, 327 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
2 | Cor de Jager (1925–2001) | General1 November 1980 | 5 July 1983 | 2 years, 246 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
3 | Govert Huijser (1931–2014) | General5 July 1983 | 10 December 1988 | 5 years, 158 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Peter Graaff (1936–2014) | General10 December 1988 | 10 May 1992 | 3 years, 152 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
5 | Arie van der Vlis (1940–2020) | General10 May 1992 | 15 August 1994 | 2 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
6 | Henk van den Breemen (1941–2024) | General15 August 1994 | 5 June 1998 | 3 years, 294 days | Royal Netherlands Marine Corps | |
7 | Luuk Kroon (1942–2012) | Lieutenant admiral5 June 1998 | 5 June 2004 | 6 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
8 | Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | General5 June 2004 | 5 September 2005 | 1 year, 92 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | General5 September 2005 | 17 April 2008 | 2 years, 225 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
2 | Peter van Uhm (born 1955) | General17 April 2008 | 28 June 2012 | 4 years, 72 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
3 | Tom Middendorp (born 1960) | General28 June 2012 | 3 October 2017 | 5 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Rob Bauer (born 1962) | Lieutenant admiral5 October 2017 | 15 April 2021 | 3 years, 192 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
5 | Onno Eichelsheim (born 1966) | General15 April 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 192 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
Vice Chiefs of Defence | Military branch | Term of office | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Lieutenant general Hans Sonneveld | Royal Netherlands Army | 5 September 2005 – 1 December 2006 (1 year, 87 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Rob Bertholee (Born 1955) | Royal Netherlands Army | 1 December 2006 – 3 March 2008 (1 year, 93 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Freek Meulman | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 3 March 2008 – 3 March 2012 (2 years, 0 days) | ||
Vice admiral Wim Nagtegaal | Royal Netherlands Navy | 3 March 2010 – 14 May 2012 (2 years, 72 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Hans Wehren | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 14 May 2012 – 1 September 2015 (3 years, 110 days) | ||
Vice admiral Rob Bauer (born 1962) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 1 September 2015 – 13 July 2017 (1 year, 315 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Martin Wijnen (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Army | 13 July 2017 – 1 July 2019 (1 year, 353 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Onno Eichelsheim (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 1 July 2019 - 8 March 2021 (1 year, 250 days) | ||
Vice admiral Boudewijn Boots (born 1964) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 8 March 2021 - (3 years, 230 days) | ||
The Indonesian National Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Indonesia. It consists of the Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL), and Air Force (TNI-AU). The President of Indonesia is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. As of 2023, it comprises approximately 400,000 military personnel including the Indonesian Marine Corps, which is a branch of the Navy.
The Netherlands Armed Forces are the military forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The armed forces consist of four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The service branches are supplemented by various joint support organizations. In addition, local conscript forces exist on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curaçao. These operate under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Netherlands Marine Corps. The armed forces are part of the Ministry of Defence.
The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces are the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's borders and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of the 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution and International laws. The armed forces were formed after independence in 1961, on the basis of elements of the former British Royal West African Frontier Force, then present in the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate.
The Canadian Armed Forces are the unified military forces of Canada, including land, sea, and air commands referred to as the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The CAF also operates several other commands, including the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. Personnel may belong to either the Regular Force or the Reserve Force, which has four sub-components: the Primary Reserve, Supplementary Reserve, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service, and the Canadian Rangers. Under the National Defence Act, the Canadian Armed Forces are an entity separate and distinct from the Department of National Defence, which also exists as the civilian support system for the forces.
A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state, head of government, or other designated government official.
The Norwegian Armed Forces is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Home Guard, and Norwegian Cyber Defence Force as well as several joint departments.
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Army (IA), the land forces branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star general officer, the COAS is the senior-most operational officer of the IA, tasked with the roles of overseeing the overall functioning of the force during peace and wartime, committing to the preparation and maintenance of the force's operational effectiveness and defending the nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the aerial branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star air chief marshal, the CAS is the senior-most operational officer of the IAF, mandated with the responsibilities of supervising the force's overall functioning during states of peace and wartime, committing to the establishment-cum-continuity of air deterrence and executing India's security objectives vis-à-vis the preservation of the country's air sovereignty.
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Navy (IN), the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star admiral, the CNS is the senior-most operational officer of the IN, tasked with the roles of overseeing the force's overall functioning during states of peace and conflict, along with the realization of India's strategic maritime objectives, namely, the defence of the country's sovereignty against maritime threats and the security of international sea lines in the Indo-Pacific.
The Ministry of Defence is the Dutch ministry responsible for the armed forces of the Netherlands and veterans' affairs. The ministry was created in 1813 as the Ministry of War and in 1928 was combined with the Ministry of the Navy. After World War II in the ministries were separated again, in this period the Minister of War and Minister of the Navy were often the same person and the state secretary for the Navy was responsible for daily affairs of the Royal Netherlands Navy. In 1959 the ministries were merged once again. The ministry is headed by the Minister of Defence, currently Ruben Brekelmans, assisted by the Chief of the Defence, Onno Eichelsheim.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is thus responsible for the administration and the operational control and command of the Ghana military. The CDS is a member of the Armed Forces Council. This council advice the President of Ghana on matters of policy relating to defence and also regulates the administration of the Armed Forces. It also advises the President on the promotion of all officers above the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel or its equivalent.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and the highest-ranking military officer in service, outranking the heads of each service branch. The CDS does not, however, have operational command authority over service branches, but rather oversees inter-service co-operation and develops and implements the joint operations doctrine of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Coordination of inter-service joint operations are handled by the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff, formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters.
Petrus Johannes Mathias "Peter" van Uhm is a retired Royal Netherlands Army general. He served as Chief of Defence of the Armed forces of the Netherlands from 17 April 2008 until 28 June 2012. He previously served as the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army from 5 September 2005 until 13 March 2008.
Fleet Command is responsible for the command, operations, readiness, training and force generation of all ships, submarines, aircraft squadrons, diving teams, and shore establishments of the Royal Australian Navy. Fleet Command is headquartered at HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney, and is led by the Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT), also referred to as Fleet Commander Australia (FCAUST), which is a rear admiral (two-star) appointment.
General Bipin Rawat was an Indian military officer who was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash in December 2021. Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as the 57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces as well as 27th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.
The Admiral Benelux (ABNL) is the Commanding Officer of the combined military staff of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Naval Component of the Belgian Armed Forces.
The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (C-LSK) is the highest-ranking officer of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He reports directly to the Chief of the Defence (CDS).
Head of the Armed Forces is the position of the sovereign of the United Kingdom as commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. Supreme military authority vests in the monarch and extends to the exercise of several personal prerogatives. However, routine administration of the military is delegated as a matter of law to the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, a body officially charged with the direction and command of the Armed Forces. As the Defence Council and its service boards are all a part of the Ministry of Defence, which itself is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom, the prime minister makes the key decisions on the use of the Armed Forces, while the secretary of state for defence assists the prime minister in the development of defence policy and administers the day-to-day military operations.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is the principal military authority and senior-most appointment of the Indian Armed Forces. Deemed the overall professional head of India’s three armed services, namely, the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the CDS is the highest-ranking military officer in service, responsible for overseeing inter-service jointness across all disciplines related to military functioning. Primarily, the office operates on a status of primus inter pares i.e., first among equals with the chiefs of the three services, and functions as the Permanent-Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) – the inter-service syndicate responsible for ensuring the establishment and preservation of military integration.