Chief of Defence (Norway)

Chief of Defence of Norway
Forsvarssjefen

Coat of arms

Standard
Incumbent
Haakon Bruun-Hanssen

since 19 November 2013
Appointer The Prime Minister
with approval from The Council of State
Inaugural holder Otto Ruge
Formation 18 May 1940
Website http://www.mil.no/fst/forsvarssjefen/

The Chief of Defence (Forsvarssjefen) is the highest-ranking officer of the Military of Norway, 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 Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen.[4]

Holders of the post

Name
Branch
Term began
Term ended
Major General Otto Ruge Army 18 May 1940 9 June 1940
Vacant
(de facto Major General Carl Gustav Fleischer)
10 June 1940 22 February 1942
Major General Wilhelm von Tangen Hansteen Army 23 February 1942 31 June 1944
HRH Crown Prince Olav Army 1 July 1944 15 July 1945
Lieutenant General Otto Ruge Army 16 July 1945 31 December 1945
Rear Admiral Elias Corneliussen Navy 1 January 1946 31 May 1946
Major General Halvor Hansson Army 1 June 1946 31 July 1946
Lieutenant General Ole Berg
(as Chief of the Defence Staff)
Army 1 August 1946 31 October 1955
Lieutenant General Finn Lambrechts
(as Chief of the Defence Staff)
Air Force 1 November 1955 8 December 1956
Lieutenant General Bjarne Øen
(as Chief of the Defence Staff)
Air Force 10 January 1957 31 December 1962
Lieutenant General Bjarne Øen Air Force 1 January 1963 31 December 1963
(Vice) Admiral Folke Hauger Johannessen Navy 1 January 1964 31 December 1972
General Herman Fredrik Zeiner-Gundersen Army 1 February 1972 20 March 1977
General Sverre B. Hamre Army 21 March 1977 30 June 1982
General Sven Hauge Air Force 1 July 1982 30 June 1984
General Fredrik Bull-Hansen Army 1 July 1984 31 August 1987
General Vigleik Eide Army 31 August 1987 5 September 1989
Admiral Torolf Rein Navy 5 September 1989 31 October 1994
General Arne Solli Army 31 October 1994 30 April 1999
General Sigurd Frisvold Army 1 May 1999 31 March 2005
General Sverre Diesen Army 1 April 2005 30 September 2009
General Harald Sunde[5] Army 1 October 2009 19 November 2013
Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen[5] Navy 19 November 2013 Incumbent

References and footnotes

  1. Overview of the Chief of Defence of Norway position and a listing of holders (in Norwegian)
  2. Derry, T.K. (1972). A History of Modern Norway: 18141972. Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-822503-4.
  3. Kersaudy, François (1987). Norway 1940. St. Martin's Press, New York. ISBN 0-312-06427-6.
  4. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fd/whats-new/News/20121/admiral-haakon-bruun-hanssen-appointed-n.html?id=745827
  5. 1 2 "Norway has appointed a new Chief of Defence". Regjeringen.no, 21 June 2013, webpage: Regj398.
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