Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox official post The Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and is the principal military advisor to the National Security Committee and the Minister for Defence. The current Chief of the Defence Force is Admiral David Johnston, who took office on 10 July 2024.

Responsibilities

The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister for Defence and provides advice on matters that relate to military activity, including military operations.[1] In a diarchy, the CDF serves as co-chairman of the Defence Committee, conjointly with the Secretary of Defence, in the command and control of the Australian Defence Organisation.[2]

The CDF is the Australian equivalent position of what in NATO and the European Union is known as the Chief of Defence, in the United Kingdom is known as the Chief of the Defence Staff, and in the United States is known as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, although with the latter prohibited by law from having operational command authority over the US Armed Forces.[3]

Constitutionally, the Governor-General of Australia, is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. However, in practice, the Australian Government de facto exercises executive power via the Federal Executive Council.[4] The CDF is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of his/her ministers. The appointment is politically neutral, as are all military positions, and not affected by a change of government.

Since 4 July 2014, the CDF is appointed for a fixed four-year term under the Defence Act (1903). Prior to this date, the appointment was for three years.[5] The position of CDF is notionally rotated between the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. However, in practice this has not been the case; of twenty appointees, twelve have been from the Army, six from the Navy and four from the Air Force.[6]

During peacetime, the Chief of the Defence Force is the only four-star officer in the ADF (admiral, general, or air chief marshal). The CDF is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) and serves as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Service Committee, composed of the service chiefs: the Chief of Navy (CN), Chief of Army (CA), and Chief of Air Force (CAF), all of whom are three-star officers (vice admiral, lieutenant general, and air marshal), as is the VCDF.

History

Prior to 1958 there was no CDF or equivalent; a Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) existed but no separate position was established as its senior officer. Instead, the senior service chief served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[7] In March 1958, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells was appointed Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a role independent of and notionally senior to the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. However, Wells and his successors did not command the Australian armed forces in any legal sense; the chairman had only an advisory role in the running of the separate services. In February 1976, COSC was dissolved and the new position of Chief of Defence Force Staff (CDFS) was created with command authority over the ADF. In October 1984 the position was renamed Chief of the Defence Force to more clearly reflect the role and its authority.[8]

Appointments

The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of the Defence Force or its preceding positions. The official title of the position at that period of time is listed immediately before the officers who held the role. The honours are as at the completion of the individual's term. Template:Officeholder table start |-style="text-align:center;" |colspan=7|Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table |-style="text-align:center;" |colspan=7|Chief of Defence Force Staff Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table |-style="text-align:center;" |colspan=7|Chief of the Defence Force Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table end

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1955 till:2030 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1955

Define $now = 2025

Colors = 

 id:ccsc	value:rgb(1,0,0)	legend: CCSC
 id:cdfs	value:rgb(0,1,0)        legend: CDFS
 id:cdf	value:rgb(0,0,1)	legend: CDF
 id:time	value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)

Legend = orientation:vertical position:right

LineData = 

 layer:back
 width:0.2
 color:time
 at:1955
 at:1960
 at:1965
 at:1970
 at:1975
 at:1980
 at:1985
 at:1990
 at:1995
 at:2000
 at:2005
 at:2010
 at:2015
 at:2020
 at:2025
 at:2030

BarData = 

barset:PM
bar:Wells
bar:Dowling
bar:Scherger
bar:Wilton
bar:Smith
bar:Hassett
bar:Hassett2
bar:MacDonald
bar:Synnot
bar:McNamara
bar:Bennett
bar:Bennett2
bar:Gration
bar:Beaumont
bar:Baker
bar:Barrie
bar:Cosgrove
bar:Houston
bar:Hurley
bar:Binskin
bar:Campbell
bar:Johnston

PlotData= 

 width:6 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
 barset:PM

bar:Wells	from: 1958 till: 1959	color:ccsc	text:Sir Henry Wells
bar:Dowling	from: 1959 till: 1961	color:ccsc	text:Sir Roy Dowling
bar:Scherger	from: 1961 till: 1966	color:ccsc	text:Sir Frederick Scherger
bar:Wilton	from: 1966 till: 1970	color:ccsc	text:Sir John Wilton
bar:Smith	from: 1970 till: 1975	color:ccsc	text:Sir Victor Smith
bar:Hassett	from: 1975 till: 1976	color:ccsc	text:Frank Hassett
bar:Hassett2	from: 1976 till: 1977	color:cdfs	text:Sir Frank Hassett
bar:MacDonald	from: 1977 till: 1979	color:cdfs	text:Sir Arthur MacDonald
bar:Synnot	from: 1979 till: 1982	color:cdfs	text:Sir Anthony Synnot
bar:McNamara	from: 1982 till: 1984	color:cdfs	text:Sir Neville McNamara
bar:Bennett	from: 1984 till: 1984	color:cdfs	text:Sir Phillip Bennett
bar:Bennett2	from: 1984 till: 1987	color:cdf	text:Sir Phillip Bennett
bar:Gration	from: 1987 till: 1993	color:cdf	text:Peter Gration
bar:Beaumont	from: 1993 till: 1995	color:cdf	text:Alan Beaumont
bar:Baker	from: 1995 till: 1998	color:cdf	text:John Baker
bar:Barrie	from: 1998 till: 2002	color:cdf	text:Chris Barrie
bar:Cosgrove	from: 2002 till: 2005	color:cdf	text:Peter Cosgrove
bar:Houston	from: 2005 till: 2011	color:cdf	text:Angus Houston
bar:Hurley	from: 2011 till: 2014	color:cdf	text:David Hurley
bar:Binskin	from: 2014 till: 2018	color:cdf	text:Mark Binskin
bar:Campbell	from: 2018 till: 2024 color:cdf	text:Angus Campbell
bar:Johnston	from: 2024 till: $now	color:cdf	text:David Johnston

</timeline>

References

Template:Reflist

External links

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Template:ADF Leadership Template:Chief of military by country

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ [1] 10 USC 152. Chairman: appointment; grade and rank
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Rowell, Full Circle, p. 178
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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