Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
Professional head of the British Armed Forces
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the title of the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the secretary of state for defence and the prime minister of the United Kingdom, and also meets regularly with the monarch. The CDS is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the permanent under-secretary of state for defence, the ministry's senior civil servant. The CDS is the highest-ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces. Constitutionally, the sovereign is the de jure commander-in-chief of the armed forces. However, in practice, the Government of the United Kingdom exercises the royal prerogative de facto and provides direction of the armed forces through the Ministry of Defence's Defence Council, of which the CDS is a member. The current CDS is Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who succeeded Admiral Sir Tony Radakin in September 2025. Chiefs of the defence staff are appointed on the recommendation of the...
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