Chief of Defence (Norway)
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| Chief of Defence of Norway Forsvarssjefen |
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Official Seal of the Chief of Defence
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Flag of the Chief of Defence
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| 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 | Royal Norwegian Navy seal 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) |
Royal Norwegian Air Force seal Air Force | 1 November 1955 | 8 December 1956 |
| Lieutenant General Bjarne Øen (as Chief of the Defence Staff) |
Royal Norwegian Air Force seal Air Force | 10 January 1957 | 31 December 1962 |
| Lieutenant General Bjarne Øen | Royal Norwegian Air Force seal Air Force | 1 January 1963 | 31 December 1963 |
| (Vice) Admiral Folke Hauger Johannessen | Royal Norwegian Navy seal 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 | Royal Norwegian Air Force seal 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 | Royal Norwegian Navy seal 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] | Royal Norwegian Navy seal Navy | 19 November 2013 | Incumbent |
References and footnotes
- ↑ Overview of the Chief of Defence of Norway position and a listing of holders (in Norwegian)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fd/whats-new/News/20121/admiral-haakon-bruun-hanssen-appointed-n.html?id=745827
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Norway has appointed a new Chief of Defence". Regjeringen.no, 21 June 2013, webpage: Regj398.
