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 or a head of government.
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 Defence Force (CDF) is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and is the principal military advisor to the National Security Committee and the Minister for Defence. The current Chief of the Defence Force is General Angus Campbell, who took office on 6 July 2018.
Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng is a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was once also the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He is also a special adviser on African Union matters to the President of Ghana.
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.
The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) is composed of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and the Australian Public Service government department, the Department of Defence which is composed of a range of civilian support organisations.
General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army officer; he was the Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. During the closing stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War, he served as the Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni with overall command of SLA offensives in the Wanni region during the 2008 - 2009 period. He was also the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Suriname from June 2014 to August 2017.
Sverker John Olof Göranson is a Swedish Army general with an armoured forces background. In 1995, he was the chief of staff of the Nordic battalion within UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars. Göranson was Inspector of the Swedish Army from 2005 to 2007, and served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2007 to 2009. He was the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces from 25 March 2009, when he succeeded Håkan Syrén, until 1 October 2015, when he was succeeded by Micael Bydén.
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Kenya Defence Forces and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya and the National Security Council. The CDF outranks all respective heads of each service branch and has operational command authority over the service branches. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Service Commander, comprising the CDF, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force, Kenya Navy and the Commandant of Military Intelligence. The CDF has offices in Ulinzi House. Following the 2010 Constitution, the Chief of the General Staff was replaced with the Chief of the Defence Forces.
The Chief of Defence is the highest-ranking military officer in the Armed forces of the Netherlands 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 responsibility of the Minister of Defence.
Head of the Armed Forces is the position of the sovereign of the United Kingdom as commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. However, supreme military authority has been delegated by the monarch to the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, a body officially charged with the direction and administration of the Armed Forces.
The chief of Defence Force is the head of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), who holds the rank Lieutenant-General or Vice-Admiral.
Klaus Reinhardt was a German Army general. He was the commander of the German Army Forces Command, the NATO Joint Headquarters Center, and KFOR in Kosovo. Reinhardt died on 30 November 2021, at the age of 80. He was the son of Nazi bureaucrat Fritz Reinhardt.
The Ministry of Defence (MINISDEF) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for planning, developing and carrying out the general guidelines of the Government about the defence policy and the managing of the military administration. It is the administrative and executive body of the Spanish Armed Forces.
General Bikram Singh, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC is a retired Indian army officer who served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army. Previously the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the army's Eastern Command, he succeeded General V. K. Singh as COAS on May 31, 2012. He retired on 31 July 2014. He is the second Sikh to be COAS, the first having been General J. J. Singh. He was also the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) of the Indian armed forces.
Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov is a Russian army general serving as the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of defense.
General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi is a senior military officer in the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF). He currently serves as the Chief of Defense Forces, the highest position in Uganda's military. He was appointed to that position on 24 June 2021, replacing General David Muhoozi, who was appointed State Minister of Internal Affairs.
General (retired) Samson Mwathethe, was a Kenyan military officer. Effective April 2015 to May 2020, he was the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the highest appointment in the Kenyan armed forces.
General Robert K Kibochi, is a Kenyan military officer. From May 2020 to date, he is the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the highest appointment in the Kenyan armed forces. He created history by becoming the first non-infantry officer from the Kenya Army to be appointed as CDF. Gen Kibochi belongs to the Corps of Signals, the military personnel responsible for conveying of information.
Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru, is a Kenyan military officer, who serves as the Commander Kenya Army, since July 2022. The Kenya Army is a service branch of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). Before his present assignment, General Njiru was the commander of the Kenya Joint Command and Staff College, at the rank of Major General.
Kenya