# Defence Staff (Denmark)

The Danish Defence Staff (Danish: Forsvarsstaben) is a senior command authority within the Danish Defence, responsible for leadership, administration, and staff support.

## Role

The Defense Staff is part of the Defense Command and supports the Chief of Defence with operational management and administration of the defense. There are four department within the Defense Staff:
* The High-Command Staff Secretariat
* The Joint Operations Staff
* The Plans and Capability Staff
* The Finance Division

## Chief of the Defense Staff

The Chief of the Defense Staff reports directly to the Chief of Defense and serves as his deputy. The person in question is also responsible for ensuring that the Armed Forces 'resources are utilized optimally, so that the Armed Forces' tasks are solved in the best possible way. The Chief of the Defense Staff, together with the Chief of Defense, constitutes the top management of the Defense.

### List

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Defence branch | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
| 1 | | Major general Einar M. Nordentoft (1896–1968) | 1 October 1950 | 30 September 1956 | 5 years, 365 days | Army | |
| 2 | | Major general Poul Vilhelm Hammershøy (1905–1961) | 1 October 1956 | 30 September 1959 | 2 years, 364 days | Army | |
| 3 | | Major general Erik Rasmussen (1903–1972) | 1 October 1959 | 30 September 1962 | 2 years, 364 days | Air force | |
| 4 | | Major general Svend Børge Reimert Helsø (1910–1975) | 1 October 1962 | 1970 | 7–8 years | Army | |
| 5 | | Major general Eigil Wolff [da] (1914–1983) | 1970 | 30 November 1972 | 2–3 years | Army | |
| 6 | | Major general Knud Jørgensen [da] (1919–1990) | 1 December 1972 | 30 April 1977 | 4 years, 150 days | Air force | |
| 7 | | Lieutenant general Gunnar Kjær Kristensen [da] (1928–2001) | 1 May 1977 | 30 April 1983 | 5 years, 364 days | Army | |
| 8 | | Vice admiral Sven Egil Thiede [da] (1924–2005) | 1 May 1983 | 30 November 1985 | 2 years, 213 days | Navy | |
| 9 | | Lieutenant general Jørgen Lyng (born 1934) | 1 December 1985 | 31 October 1989 | 3 years, 334 days | Army | |
| 10 | | Vice admiral Jørgen Garde (1939–1996) | 1 November 1989 | 31 March 1996 | 6 years, 151 days | Navy | |
| 11 | | Lieutenant general Christian Hvidt [da] (born 1942) | 1 April 1996 | 20 August 1996 | 141 days | Air force | |
| 12 | | Lieutenant general Ove Høegh-Guldberg Hoff [da] (born 1942) | 20 August 1996 | 2000 | 3–4 years | Army | |
| 13 | | Lieutenant general Hans Jesper Helsø (born 1942) | 27 September 2000 | 1 October 2002 | 2 years, 4 days | Army | |
| 14 | | Vice admiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen (born 1951) | 1 October 2002 | 31 July 2008 | 5 years, 304 days | Navy | |
| 15 | | Lieutenant general Bjørn Bisserup (born 1960) | 31 July 2008 | 1 October 2014 | 6 years, 62 days | Army | |
| 16 | | Lieutenant general Per Ludvigsen [da] (born 1957) | 1 October 2014 | 1 November 2017 | 3 years, 31 days | Army | |
| 17 | | Lieutenant general Max A.L.T. Nielsen [de] (born 1963) | 1 November 2017 | 1 September 2019 | 1 year, 304 days | Air force | |
| – | | Rear admiral Frank Trojahn (born 1963) Acting | 1 September 2019 | 15 November 2019 | 75 days | Navy | |
| 18 | | Lieutenant general Kenneth Pedersen [da] (born 1968) | 15 November 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 343 days | Army | |