Chief of Defence (Netherlands)

The Chief of Defence (Commandant der Strijdkrachten, CDS) is the highest-ranking officer in the Netherlands Armed Forces 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 guise of the minister of defence.

History
The current position of Chief of Defence (CHOD) was created on 5 September 2005, when it replaced the existing role of Chef-Defensiestaf (Chief of the Defence Staff) and was abbreviated as CDS. Just like its predecessor role the position of Chief of Defence will rotate between the branches of the military; the first Chief of Defence was General Dick Berlijn, of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The position of Chief of Defence is subsequently held by a Four-star officer with the rank of General or Lieutenant Admiral

Responsibilities
The main role of the chief of defence is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Central Staff of the Armed Forces of The Netherlands. He makes operational policy and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the armed forces. The chief of defence is the direct commanding officer of the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces.


 * The commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
 * The commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force
 * The commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy

The branch commanders are responsible for preparedness and actual deployment of their military personnel in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Regarding operational planning and deployment, the branch commanders take their orders directly from the Chief of Defence.

The Royal Marechaussee (Gendarmerie) does not answer to the Chief of Defence directly, but rather to the secretary-general for the Ministry of Defence. The current secretary-general is Maarten Schurink.

Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces (1914–1949)

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 * colspan=7|Vacant Interbellum


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 * colspan=7|Vacant German occupation