Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff

The Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff is a senior British military officer who reports to the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Early Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff

These were:^[1]

• 1957 – 1960 – Lieutenant-General Sir Roderick McLeod
• 1960 – 1962 – Air Marshal Sir Alfred Earle
• 1962 – 1964 – Lieutenant-General Sir Denis O’Connor

Note: This single "Deputy Chief" role was redesignated Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff after 1964.^[1]

Current arrangements

There are currently three people with the post of Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (DCDS) at any one time. These are:^[2]

• Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) – the DCDS (Operations) ordinarily reports to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff but also reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff on operational matters
• Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel and Training)
• Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability)

Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Operations)

These were:^[1]
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)

• 1985 – 1987 Vice-Admiral Sir John Woodward
• 1987 – 1989 Lieutenant-General Sir Antony Walker
• 1989 – 1992 Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr
• 1992 – 1995 Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Nicholas Hill-Norton
• 1995 – 1997 Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander Harley
• 1997 – 2000 Air Marshal Sir John Day
• 2000 – 2003 Lieutenant-General Sir Anthony Pigott
• 2003 – 2006 Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fry
• 2006 – 2007 Vice-Admiral Charles Style
• 2007 – 2009 Lieutenant-General Sir Peter Wall

Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations)

• 2009 – 2011 Lieutenant-General Simon Mayall
• 2011 – 2013 Lieutenant-General Richard Barrons
• 2013 – 2014 Lieutenant-General James Everard
• 2014 – 2016 Lieutenant-General Gordon Messenger
• 2016 – present Lieutenant-General Mark Carleton-Smith

Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Personnel and Training) / Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff (People)

These were:^[1]
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes and Personnel)

• 1984 – 1987 Lieutenant-General Sir John Chapple
• 1987 – 1989 Air Marshal Sir David Parry-Evans
• 1989 – 1992 Vice-Admiral Sir Barry Wilson
• 1992 – 1996 Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter
• 1996 – 1999 Air Marshal Sir Peter Squire

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel)

• 1999 – 2002 Air Marshal Sir Malcolm Pledger
• 2002 – 2005 Lieutenant-General Anthony Palmer
• 2005 – 2007 Air Marshal David Pocock
• 2007 – 2010 Vice-Admiral Peter Wilkinson

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel and Training)

• 2010 – 2013 Lieutenant-General Sir William Rollo

Chief of Defence People

• 2013 – 2016 Lieutenant-General Andrew Gregory
• 2016 – Present Lieutenant-General Richard Nugee

Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Capability)

These were:^[1]
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements)

• 1967 – 1968 Air Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler
• 1968 – 1971 Lieutenant-General Sir Noel Thomas
• 1971 – 1973 Vice-Admiral Sir Ian McIntosh
• 1973 – 1976 Air Marshal Sir Michael Giddings
• 1976 – 1978 Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Cunningham
• 1978 – 1981 Vice-Admiral Sir Stephen Berthon
• 1981 – 1983 Lieutenant-General Sir Maurice Johnston

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Systems)

• 1983 – 1986 Air Marshal Sir Donald Hall
• 1986 – 1989 Vice-Admiral Sir Jeremy Black
• 1989 – 1992 Lieutenant-General Sir Anthony Mullens
• 1992 – 1994 Air Marshal Sir Roger Austin

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Equipment Capability)

• 1994 – 1995 Vice-Admiral Malcolm Rutherford

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Systems)

• 1995 – 1997 Vice-Admiral Sir John Dunt
• 1997 – 1999 Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Burton

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Equipment Capability)

• 1999 – 2002 Vice-Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham
• 2002 – 2003 Air Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup
• 2003 – 2006 Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fulton
• 2006 – 2009 Lieutenant-General Andrew Figgures
• 2009 – 2012 Vice-Admiral Sir Paul Lambert

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability)

• 2012 – Present Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier
• 2016 – Lieutenant General Mark Poffley

Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Intelligence)

• 1964 – 1965 Vice-Admiral Sir Norman Denning
• 1965 – 1968 Air Marshal Sir Harold Maguire
• 1968 – 1971 Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Fyffe
• 1971 – 1972 Vice-Admiral Sir Louis Le Bailly
• 1972 – 1975 Lieutenant-General Sir David Willison
• 1975 – 1978 Air Marshal Sir Richard Wakeford
• 1978 – 1981 Vice-Admiral Sir Roy Halliday
• 1981 – 1983 Lieutenant-General Sir James Glover
• 1983 – 1984 Air Marshal Sir Michael Armitage

(post discontinued in 1984)

References