Chief of the Armed Forces (Switzerland)
Commander of the Swiss Armed Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chief of the Armed Forces (German: Chef der Armee (CdA); French: Chef de l'armée; Italian: Capo dell’esercito) commands the Swiss Armed Forces in time of peace and reports directly to the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports and to the Swiss Federal Council. The position was established in 2004.
| Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Chef der Armee (German) Chef de l'armée (French) Capo dell’esercito (Italian) | |
Incumbent since 1 January 2026Lt Gen Benedikt Roos | |
| Federal Department of Defence | |
| Abbreviation | CdA |
| Reports to | Head of the Department of Defence |
| Precursor | General Staff |
| Formation | 1 January 2004 |
| First holder | Lt Gen Christophe Keckeis |
| Website | Official website |
History
Until the end of 2003, the highest level of command in the Swiss Armed forces was held by the General Staff, led by the Chief of the General Staff as primus inter pares. Together with other reforms of the Armed Forces (German: Armee XXI), the position of Chief of the Armed Forces was introduced. Christophe Keckeis became the first Chief of the Armed Forces, having already served as Chief of the General Staff since January 2003.
General information
The Chief of the Armed Forces is elected by the Federal Council and holds the rank of Korpskommandant (three-star rank, equivalent to Lieutenant General). He leads the Swiss Armed Forces only in time of peace. Only in time of war, a commander-in-chief of the rank of General (four-star rank) is elected by the Federal Assembly.
List of Chiefs of the Armed Forces
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lt Gen. Christophe Keckeis (1945–2020) | 1 January 2004 | 31 December 2007 | 3 years, 364 days | Army | – | |
| 2 | Lt Gen. Roland Nef (born 1959) | 1 January 2008 | 21 July 2008 | 202 days | Army | [1] | |
| – | Lt Gen. André Blattmann (born 1956) Acting | 21 July 2008 | 28 February 2009 | 222 days | Air Force | – | |
| 3 | Lt Gen. André Blattmann (born 1956) | 1 March 2009 | 31 December 2016 | 7 years, 305 days | Air Force | – | |
| 4 | Lt Gen. Philippe Rebord (born 1957) | 1 January 2017 | 31 December 2019 | 2 years, 364 days | Army | [2] [3][4] | |
| 5 | Lt Gen. Thomas Süssli (born 1966) | 1 January 2020 | 31 December 2025 | 5 years, 364 days | Army | [5][6] | |
| 6 | Lt Gen. Benedikt Roos (born 1965) | 1 January 2026 | Incumbent | 115 days | Army | - |
