Chief of the Defence Staff

[The Armchair Soldier]

New Head Of Armed Forces Is Appointed

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach has been appointed the new Chief of the Defence Staff.

His appointment as head of the British military was approved by the Prime Minister and Buckingham Palace within the last few days.

Air Chief Marshal Peach will take over from General Sir Nicholas Houghton later this year - and his main challenge will be to lead the ongoing military efforts against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The deteriorating situation in Libya will also be a major issue in the coming months.

Read More: http://news.sky.com/story/1627420/new-h ... -appointed

[rec]

It seems that the Royal Navy is totally written out of this appointment, it really is the cinderella of the armed forces.

[GibMariner]

Smells a bit of short-term preference for RAF due to Op Shader, rather than long-term strategic thinking as the largest defence projects of the next few decades will be RN. Bit of a snub for Zambellas?

Last RN CDS was Admiral M Boyce, who left the post in 2003. Since then 3 Army and now 2 RAF CDS.

Seeing as CDS tend to serve for under 5 years (Mountbatten excluded), and there's still some years to go until carrier ops become the centrepiece of British power projection, the next CDS could very well be RN.

[ArmChairCivvy]

I think there is plenty to do over the next 5 yrs (rather than shed talent from the top):
- the CVF and the SSN forces will need to be up to strength and in full working order
- the doctrine matching the carrier ops and amphibs will need to be revised (and then practiced)
- getting a T26 close to launching and defining the role(s) for FLF

How old is Adm. Z? Would he still be in contest in 5 yrs' time?

[rec]

The trouble is that if you look at our recent interventions the have not been resounding successes, for example: the air led campaign in Lybia while it has removed a dictator has left Lybia a destablised country and a breeding ground fro extremists; 'The we must do something and that something is bombing' strategy doesn't work. So I am worried by having an RAF CDS we continue to go down the 'bomber Harris legacy route', we need a more holistic and broad based response to international crisises.

[S M H]

I doubt that our senior staff officers want to go down the Harris bombing route. The reason interventions controlled recent C D S have not been resounding successes is easily explained . It was because of the lack of vision of there political masters to provide equipment, personnel and most damagingly planning a post intervention working political solution.

[GibMariner]

[shark bait]

Sad to see Zambellas go,

also interesting, but pay walled;

Lieutenant-General Gordon Messenger, a decorated Afghan veteran, is the surprise choice for vice-chief of the defence staff after David Cameron derailed the Ministry of Defence’s succession plans by overruling its recommendation for the top job

[GibMariner]

Short biographies of the new appointees by ThinkDefence:

http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2016/01/n ... -services/

[ArmChairCivvy]

Has jointness been overdone?
- I mean, I am all for it, but has someone just read the CVs with the red pen in the hand and marked, as if this was the exam question, and who got highest marks, got the job?

[ArmChairCivvy]

I took time to read the CVs properly and my comment above seems premature (first impressions).

The line up is quite impressive and between them a lot of experience in capability planning & prgrm delivery.

Has it been kept hush-hush where Dave changed the nominations from what MoD proposed (or was that for the top post)?

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[downsizer]

It's funny, the only people getting their panties in a twist about this are nerds on the Internet.

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[SKB]

I thought the Head of the services was the Queen?

[GibMariner]

Royal Navy appoints new Fleet Commander

The Royal Navy has welcomed its newly-appointed Fleet Commander and Chief Naval Warfare Officer at a handover ceremony in Portsmouth.

Vice Admiral Ben Key CBE takes up the role from outgoing Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones KCB who is to be promoted Admiral and appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in succession to Admiral Sir George Zambellas GCB DSC ADC DL.

The ceremony took place on HMS Dauntless with the signing of the official handover documents held on the flight deck in front of the ship’s company and family members.

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... -commander

[The Armchair Soldier]

Admiral Sir Philip Jones Takes Over as First Sea Lord

The torch of Naval leadership today changed hands as Admiral Sir Philip Jones took over as Britain’s senior sailor and his predecessor, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, stepped down after 35 years' serving his nation.

In the great cabin of the world’s oldest commissioned warship, HMS Victory, Admiral Zambellas formally handed over command of more than 30,000 men and women, nearly 90 warships, nuclear submarines and support vessels, the helicopters and jets of the Fleet Air Arm and the elite Naval infantry of the Royal Marines to the man who has overseen the day-to-day operations of the Royal Navy since 2013 as its Fleet Commander.

Read More: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... t-sea-lord

[indeid]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-d ... -committee

ACM Peach to NATO in 2018, hope they are ready for him........

[ArmChairCivvy]

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

"NATO is vital to Britain’s security at a time of increasing threats across the globe. This appointment underlines our leadership role in NATO and I know Sir Stuart will relish these new challenges."

and v.v.

A timely move and gesture to cement the continuity while dramas are being played out in the adjacent arenas

[The Armchair Soldier]

General Sir Nick Carter appointed new Chief of the Defence Staff

Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen to take over from Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach GBE KCB ADC DL as the next Chief of the Defence Staff this summer.

Read More: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gene ... ence-staff

[Gabriele]

Splendid! After messing up the army, he gets a shot at messing up everything else as well.

[Scimitar54]

The occupancy of the UK's most senior military post by an officer of the senior service is long overdue

[indeid]

Confirmation that Joint is spelt A-R-M-Y and that purple is really a shade of green.

Disappointing about the lack of experience outside Land, especially with the introduction of Carrier Air during his tenure.

At least the Rifles and Journos will be happy.

[SKB]

[indeid]

When does VCDS change round? Unusual to have a Chief and Vice-Chief from the same service so the next one will stay non Army. Be an interesting relationship since the Vice-Chief does a lot of the capability work and the Chief operates more at the strategic level.