First Commander of Joint Forces Command takes up post
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach has taken up post as the first Commander of Joint Forces Command (JFC) today and will be responsible for commanding and generating allocated joint capabilities.
The creation of the JFC was a key recommendation in Lord Levene’s Defence Reform report, published in June as part of a wider package of comprehensive reform.
ACM Peach will initially focus on establishing the JFC at initial operating capability by April 2012, before delivering full capability by April 2013:
I am delighted to be the first Commander of the Joint Forces Command,” he said.
The strategic purpose of the Joint Forces Command is to optimise the delivery of joint capabilities. This is something I have been passionate about throughout my career, and I relish the opportunity to command people drawn from across Defence and deliver change in this area.
I will work closely with the Single Services in order to generate the right enablers and support for effective joint capability - today, tomorrow and in the future.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:
As a significant part of the work underway to reform Defence, the Joint Forces Command will help deliver effective, affordable defence of the UK and her interests.
As deployments for Afghanistan and Libya have shown, our Armed Forces are often at their most capable when they are operating together. The Joint Forces Command has a vital role to play in ensuring this coherence for both current and potential future operations.
I look forward to working with Air Chief Marshal Peach as he leads this new Command.
Lord Levene’s Defence Reform report into the structure and management of the Ministry of Defence recommended the creation of a JFC to manage and deliver specific joint capabilities and to take the lead on joint warfare development. The Defence Secretary agreed this.
An Implementation Team has been established and work is ongoing to deliver the JFC at Initial Operating Capability in April 2012, by which time a small headquarters will be in place and the first tranche of organisations will have transferred to the new JFC Top Level Budget.
The design of the JFC is being led by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, ACM Peach, and the Defence Reform Unit, in conjunction with the wider implementation of the new Defence operating model set out by Lord Levene.
The Defence Secretary announced the appointment of ACM Peach to the post of Commander Joint Forces Command by Written Ministerial Statement on 15 September 2011.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach held the appointment of Chief of Joint Operations at PJHQ(UK) from March 2009 to November 2011 before assuming his current role as Commander Joint Forces Command in December 2011.
Lieutenant General David Capewell took over as Chief of Joint Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters on 1 December 2011.
Lieutenant General David Capewell was previously Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) at the MOD.