# Chief of Defence (Finland)

The Chief of Defence (Finnish: Puolustusvoimain komentaja, Swedish: Kommendören för försvarsmakten lit. 'Commander of the Defence Forces') is the chief of defence and commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, under the authority of the President of Finland.
The Chief of Defence commands the Finnish Army, the Finnish Air Force, the Finnish Navy and is assisted by the Defence Command. He is the highest-ranking officer of the forces (Admiral or General) and his deputy is the Chief of Staff of the Defence Command (Finnish: pääesikunnan päällikkö).
The current Chief of Defence is General Janne Jaakkola.

## Role and functions

In contrast to many other Western countries, the Finnish Defence Forces have an actual military commander with direct authority over all forces, and the Chief of Staff is a separate position. The Chief of Defence is responsible for all operative aspects of the Defence Forces, while the Minister of Defence plans the long-term economical aspects. In administrative matters, the Chief of Defence has the authority to form or disband any unit below brigade level and to make any necessary reorganization to the command structure of the Defence Forces, unless such changes have wide impacts on the Finnish society, on the finances of the state or on the personnel of the Defence Forces. In command matters, the Chief of Defence has the authority to make any command decision that is not reserved to the President of Finland. In matters reserved to the Minister of Defence or to the President of Finland, the Chief of Defence prepares the decision and introduces his proposal to the Minister or to the President.
The immediate subordinates of the Chief of Defence are
* Chief-of-staff of the Defence Command
* Commander of the Finnish Army
* Commander of the Finnish Navy
* Commander of the Finnish Air Force
* Rector of the National Defence University
The Chief of Defence is appointed by the President on the nomination of the Finnish Council of State and may be asked to retire whenever a reason occurs. However, since 1972, all Chiefs of Defence have retired only after fulfilling the statutory retirement age of 63.

## List of Finnish Chiefs of Defence

| No. | Chief of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Mannerheim, CarlGeneral of Cavalry Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951) (as Supreme Commander of the forces of the Republic of Finland) | 28 January 1918 | 30 May 1918 | 122 days | Finnish Army |
| 2 | Wilkama, KarlMajor General Karl Fredrik Wilkama (1876–1947) (as Supreme Commander of the Finnish Military Forces) | 31 May 1918 | 12 August 1918 | 74 days | Finnish Army |
| 3 | Thesleff, VilhelmMajor General Vilhelm Aleksander Thesleff (1880–1941) (as Minister of Defence) | 13 August 1918 | 27 November 1918 | 106 days | Finnish Army |
| 4 | Walden, RudolfColonel Rudolf Walden (1878–1946) (as Minister of War) | 27 November 1918 | 31 December 1918 | 34 days | Finnish Army |
| (2) | Wilkama, KarlMajor General Karl Fredrik Wilkama (1876–1947) (as Commander of the Finnish Army) | 1 January 1919 | 19 June 1919 | 169 days | Finnish Army |
| 5 | Kivekäs, KaarloMajor General Kaarlo Edward Kivekäs (1866–1940) (as Commander of the Finnish Army) | 20 June 1919 | 11 September 1919 | 83 days | Finnish Army |
| (2) | Wilkama, KarlMajor General Karl Fredrik Wilkama (1876–1947) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 12 September 1919 | 7 August 1924 | 4 years, 330 days | Finnish Army |
| 6 | Nenonen, VilhoLieutenant General Vilho Petter Nenonen (1883–1960) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 8 August 1924 | 16 April 1925 | 251 days | Finnish Army |
| 7 | Malmberg, LauriColonel Lauri Malmberg (1888–1948) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 16 April 1925 | 1 October 1925 | 168 days | Finnish Army |
| (2) | Wilkama, KarlLieutenant General Karl Fredrik Wilkama (1876–1947) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 2 October 1925 | 21 May 1926 | 231 days | Finnish Army |
| 8 | Sihvo, AarneLieutenant General Aarne Sihvo (1889–1963) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 21 May 1926 | 15 January 1933 | 6 years, 239 days | Finnish Army |
| 9 | Österman, HugoLieutenant General Hugo Viktor Österman (1892–1975) (as Commander of the Hosts) | 15 January 1933 | 16 October 1939 | 6 years, 274 days | Finnish Army |
| (1) | Mannerheim, CarlField Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951) Acting | 17 October 1939 | 20 November 1939 | 34 days | Finnish Army |
| (1) | Mannerheim, CarlMarshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951) (as Commander-in-Chief ) | 20 November 1939 | 12 January 1945 | 5 years, 53 days | Finnish Army |
| 10 | Heinrichs, ErikGeneral of the Infantry Erik Heinrichs (1890–1965) | 12 January 1945 | 1 July 1945 | 170 days | Finnish Army |
| 11 | Lundqvist, JarlLieutenant General Jarl Lundqvist (1896–1965) | 2 July 1945 | 3 June 1946 | 336 days | Finnish Air Force |
| (8) | Sihvo, AarneGeneral of the Infantry Aarne Sihvo (1889–1963) | 4 June 1946 | 31 May 1953 | 6 years, 361 days | Finnish Army |
| 12 | Heiskanen, KaarloGeneral of the Infantry Kaarlo Heiskanen (1894–1962) | 1 June 1953 | 28 October 1959 | 6 years, 149 days | Finnish Army |
| 13 | Simelius, SakariGeneral of the Infantry Sakari Simelius (1900–1985) | 29 October 1959 | 12 November 1965 | 5 years, 348 days | Finnish Army |
| 14 | Keinonen, YrjöGeneral of the Infantry Yrjö Keinonen (1912–1977) | 13 November 1965 | 30 April 1969 | 3 years, 199 days | Finnish Army |
| 15 | Leinonen, KaarloGeneral Kaarlo Leinonen (1914–1975) | 1 May 1969 | 14 March 1974 | 4 years, 317 days | Finnish Army |
| 16 | Sutela, LauriGeneral Lauri Sutela (1918–2011) | 15 March 1974 | 11 October 1983 | 9 years, 210 days | Finnish Army |
| 17 | Valtanen, JaakkoGeneral Jaakko Valtanen (1925–2024) | 12 October 1983 | 28 February 1990 | 6 years, 139 days | Finnish Army |
| 18 | Klenberg, JanAdmiral Jan Klenberg (1931–2020) | 1 March 1990 | 31 October 1994 | 4 years, 244 days | Finnish Navy |
| 19 | Klenberg, JanGeneral Gustav Hägglund (born 1938) | 1 November 1994 | 3 June 2001 | 6 years, 214 days | Finnish Army |
| 20 | Kaskeala, JuhaniAdmiral Juhani Kaskeala (born 1946) | 4 June 2001 | 31 July 2009 | 8 years, 57 days | Finnish Navy |
| 21 | Puheloinen, AriGeneral Ari Puheloinen (born 1951) | 1 August 2009 | 31 July 2014 | 4 years, 364 days | Finnish Army |
| 22 | Lindberg, JarmoGeneral Jarmo Lindberg (born 1959) | 1 August 2014 | 31 July 2019 | 4 years, 364 days | Finnish Air Force |
| 23 | Kivinen,TimoGeneral Timo Kivinen (born 1959) | 1 August 2019 | 31 March 2024 | 4 years, 244 days | Finnish Army |
| 24 | Jaakkola,JanneGeneral Janne Jaakkola (born 1967) | 1 April 2024 | Incumbent | 340 days | Finnish Army |