Vice Admiral Andy Kyte CB FCILT
Biography
Vice Admiral Andy Kyte was appointed as the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS) with effect from September 2023. He is responsible for developing and overseeing the implementation of a cross-cutting, pan-Defence strategy for Support, a c. £16-billion/annum enterprise covering every facet of Logistics, Engineering and Equipment Support.
A career logistician, he has over 38 years’ service, including operational tours in Northern Ireland, the Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan. Previous appointments include Head of Defence Logistic Operations and Command of the High Readiness Joint Force Logistic HQ. In 2018 he was appointed as the 2* Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (ACDS) (Support Operations) where he was responsible for the provision of strategic level policy, planning and direction in support of current and contingent operations. His tenure was dominated by the Support challenges created by BREXIT, COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prior to assuming the post of CDLS he led a study for the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), focused on increasing Defence outputs.
Vice Admiral Andy Kyte is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course and the London Business School. He holds an MA in Defence Studies and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. He was appointed a Companion of the Bath in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List for leadership of Defence’s response to the COVID pandemic. He is the Chair of the Association of Royal Navy Officers, and its sister organisation, the Royal Navy Officers Charity.
Chief Defence Logistics Support
The Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS) is the head of the Defence Support organisation. CDLS is responsible for leading the organisation as it delivers activities to support our Armed Forces today and drives progress to support them better tomorrow. CDLS is the functional owner for Support (FOfS), responsible for driving coherence and performance of Support across Defence. CDLS also owns the vision for Support and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Defence Support Strategy.