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The current Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup.

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces. The post was created in 1956 to reflect the new conceptions of joint operations that had come to the fore in World War II. Prior to the creation of the post, one of the three members of the Chiefs of Staff Committee was appointed chairman.

From its creation up until the mid-1990s, the Chief of the Defence Staff was appointed to the highest rank in the branch of the British armed forces to which he belonged (equivalent to a US "five-star" rank) being an Admiral of the Fleet, a Field Marshal or Marshal of the Royal Air Force. However, with the defence cuts, having a such a high rank serving officer was seen as too expensive, and too prestigious for the post-Cold War size of the British Armed Forces. Consequently, since then the Chief of the Defence Staff was not promoted and retained the lower ("four-star") rank of (Admiral, General or Air Chief Marshal).

The current Chief of the Defence Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup who succeeded General Sir Michael Walker on 28 April 2006.

It is traditional for the holder of the post of CDS to be from a different service from his predecessor (this has only been broken once, when General Guthrie succeeded Field Marshal Inge) and also a different service from his deputy, the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS). The current VCDS is General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman.

New Colours are presented to RMAS, 21 June 2005. CDS (Sir Michael Walker) stepped in as Her Majesty was indisposed. Officer Cadet Wales can be seen on parade.

The Chief of Defence Staff has a Personal Staff Officer, (currently Commodore Stephen Jermy, Royal Navy), a Deputy Personal Staff Officer (Group Captain Richard Gammage, Royal Air Force), and a Military Assistant (Lieutenant-Colonel A. S. Richmond), as well as support staff. He is also assisted by the Secretary of the Chiefs of Staff Committtee, currently Colonel George Norton.

• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson (1 January 1956-12 July 1959)
• Admiral of the Fleet The Earl Mountbatten of Burma (13 July 1959-15 July 1965)
• Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull (16 July 1965-4 August 1967)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Elworthy (7 August 1967-8 April 1971)
• Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Hill-Norton (9 April 1971-21 October 1973)
• Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver (22 October 1973-23 October 1976)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Humphrey (24 October 1976-24 January 1977)
• Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore (9 February 1977-30 August 1977)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Neil Cameron (31 August 1977-31 August 1979)
• Admiral of the Fleet Sir Terence Lewin (1 September 1979-30 September 1982)
• Field Marshal Sir Edwin Bramall (1 October 1982-31 October 1985)
• Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fieldhouse (1 November 1985-9 December 1988)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir David Craig (9 December 1988-1 April 1991)
• Field Marshal Sir Richard Vincent (2 April 1991-31 December 1992)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding (1 January 1993-13 March 1994)
• Field Marshal Sir Peter Inge (14 March 1994-1 April 1997)
• General Sir Charles Guthrie (2 April 1997-15 February 2001)
• Admiral Sir Michael Boyce (16 February 2001-2 May 2003)
• General Sir Michael Walker (4 May 2003- 28 April 2006)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup (28 April 2006 - )

• First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
• Chief of the General Staff
• Chief of the Air Staff