Chief of Defence | |
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Forsvarssjefen | |
File:Coat of arms of the Norwegian Chief of Defence.png Coat of arms for the Chief of Defence | |
Standard for the Chief of Defence | |
Ministry of Defence | |
Type | Active |
Reports to | Minister of Defence |
Appointer |
The Prime Minister with approval from The Council of State |
Term length | No fixed length |
Formation | 18 May 1940 |
First holder | Otto Ruge |
The Chief of Defence (Forsvarssjefen) is the highest-ranking officer of the Norwegian Armed Forces, second only to the King of Norway. Even though he holds the same rank as the King of Norway, according to the Norwegian Constitution the King holds the highest command of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Home Guard.
The Chief of Defence is the top advisor to the Government regarding military issues. He is responsible for carrying out the mission the King or Minister of Defence gives to the Military. He is also Norway's representative to NATO's military committee.[1]
The post was first established in 1940,[2][3] and is currently held by General Eirik Kristoffersen.[4]
List of Chiefs of Defence[]
№ | Chief of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | |
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1 | Otto Ruge (1882–1961) | Major General 18 May 1940 | 9 June 1940 | 22 days | Army | |
– | Carl Gustav Fleischer (Acting) (1883–1942) | Major General 10 June 1940 | 22 February 1942 | 1 year, 257 days | Army | |
2 | Wilhelm von Tangen Hansteen (1896–1980) | Major General 23 February 1942 | 30 June 1944 | 2 years, 128 days | Army | |
3 | Olav (1903–1991) | HRH Crown Prince 1 July 1944 | 15 July 1945 | 1 year, 14 days | Army | |
(1) | Otto Ruge (1882–1961) | Lieutenant General 16 July 1945 | 31 December 1945 | 168 days | Army | |
– | Elias Corneliussen (Acting) (1881–1951) | Rear Admiral 1 January 1946 | 31 May 1946 | 150 days | Navy | |
– | Halvor Hansson (Acting) (1886–1956) | Major General 1 June 1946 | 31 July 1946 | 60 days | Army | |
4 | Ole Berg (1890–1968) (as Chief of the Defence Staff) | Lieutenant General 1 August 1946 | 31 October 1955 | 9 years, 91 days | Army | |
5 | Finn Lambrechts (1900–1956) (as Chief of the Defence Staff) | Lieutenant General 1 November 1955 | 8 December 1956 † | 1 year, 37 days | Air Force | |
6 | Bjarne Øen (1898–1994) (as Chief of the Defence Staff) | Lieutenant General 10 January 1957 | 31 December 1962 | 5 years, 355 days | Air Force | |
(6) | Bjarne Øen (1898–1994) | Lieutenant General 1 January 1963 | 31 December 1963 | 364 days | Air Force | |
7 | Folke Hauger Johannessen (1913–1997) | (Vice) Admiral 1 January 1964 | 31 December 1972 | 8 years, 365 days | Navy | |
8 | Herman Fredrik Zeiner-Gundersen (1915–2002) | General 1 February 1972 | 20 March 1977 | 5 years, 47 days | Army | |
9 | Sverre B. Hamre (1918–1990) | General 21 March 1977 | 30 June 1982 | 5 years, 70 days | Army | |
10 | Sven Hauge (1923–1997) | General 1 July 1982 | 30 June 1984 | 1 year, 365 days | Air Force | |
11 | Fredrik Bull-Hansen (1927–2018) | General 1 July 1984 | 31 August 1987 | 3 years, 61 days | Army | |
12 | Vigleik Eide (1933–2011) | General 31 August 1987 | 5 September 1989 | 2 years, 5 days | Army | |
13 | Torolf Rein (born 1934) | Admiral 5 September 1989 | 31 October 1994 | 5 years, 56 days | Navy | |
14 | Arne Solli (1938–2017) | General 31 October 1994 | 30 April 1999 | 4 years, 181 days | Army | |
15 | Sigurd Frisvold (born 1947) | General 1 May 1999 | 31 March 2005 | 5 years, 334 days | Army | |
16 | Sverre Diesen (born 1949) | General 1 April 2005 | 30 September 2009 | 4 years, 182 days | Army | |
17 | Harald Sunde[5] (born 1954) | General 1 October 2009 | 19 November 2013 | 4 years, 49 days | Army | |
18 | Haakon Bruun-Hanssen[5] (born 1960) | Admiral 19 November 2013 | 17 August 2020 | 6 years, 272 days | Navy | |
19 | Eirik Kristoffersen[5] (born 1969) | General 17 August 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 82 days | Army |
References and footnotes[]
- ↑ Overview of the Chief of Defence of Norway position and a listing of holders (in Norwegian) Archived 2009-09-15 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Derry, T.K. (1972). A History of Modern Norway: 1814—1972. Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-822503-4.
- ↑ Kersaudy, François (1987). Norway 1940. St. Martin's Press, New York. ISBN 0-312-06427-6.
- ↑ https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/generalmajor-eirik-kristoffersen-ny-forsvarssjef/id2702244/
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Norway has appointed a new Chief of Defence". Regjeringen.no, 21 June 2013, webpage: Regj398.
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The original article can be found at Chief of Defence (Norway) and the edit history here.