The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, formerly the Commandant of the Imperial Defence College, is the head of the Royal College of Defence Studies, a British military staff college which instructs senior officers, diplomats, and civil servants.
The Commandant was a senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001: the post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971, the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies. In 1991, the post was downgraded to three-star, and then in 2001, it was opened up to competition through public advertisement. Subsequent incumbents were all senior retired military officers, until the appointment of a diplomat in 2014. In 2019, a civil service job advert stated the post would be at SCS2 pay grade, or Two-star rank or NATO OF-7 rank.[1]
Commandants have included:[2]
Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Job Title Commandant, Royal College of Defence Studies
He joined RCDS in May 2016 as Deputy Commandant and stepped up to become Commandant in July 2019.[permanent dead link]
