Simon Hamilton (officer)

Last updated
Simon P. Hamilton
Lt Gen Simon Hamilton (cropped).jpg
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1995–present
Rank Lieutenant General
Unit Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Commands 101 Logistic Brigade
Battles / wars Kosovo War
Bosnian War
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Awards Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Lieutenant General Simon P. Hamilton is a senior British Army officer who has served as the Director General Land at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) since December 2023. [1]

Contents

Military career

Hamilton was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1995. [1] He has served on operational deployments in Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. [2]

He held a range of staff appointments at the Ministry of Defence, Army Headquarters, and within DE&S. Hamilton commanded 101 Logistic Brigade and later served as Head of Equipment in Army HQ and Head of the Vehicle Support Team at DE&S. [2]

He went on to become Director of Support and was the first Director of Programmes in the British Army. In this role, he was responsible for the delivery of the Army’s capability modernisation portfolio and acted as the Senior Responsible Owner for three Category A programmes. [1]

Director General Land

In December 2023, Hamilton succeeded Chris Bushell as Director General Land at DE&S. [1] He is responsible for the delivery and support of land equipment, including vehicles, weapons, and helicopters, with an annual spend of approximately £5 billion. His team includes over 4,000 personnel and manages 57 Category A programmes. [1]

Hamilton is also credited with contributing to the UK's Land Industrial Strategy, aiming to foster closer partnerships between the Ministry of Defence and industry. [2] [3]

Honours

Hamilton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Operational Honours list, [4] and later appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours. [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lt Gen Simon Hamilton becomes DE&S' new Director General Land". Defence Equipment & Support. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "My Vision for the Land Environment". The D Group. January 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  3. "Army Director General visits Sheffield Forgemasters". Sheffield Forgemasters. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  4. "Operational Honours and Awards List". The Gazette. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  5. "Queen's Birthday Honours List 2018". The Gazette. 9 June 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2025.