Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
| Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff | |
|---|---|
Ensign of the Royal Navy
|
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| Department of the Admiralty, Ministry of Defence | |
| Member of | Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board |
| Reports to | First Sea Lord |
| Nominator | First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for Defence |
| Appointer |
Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council |
| Term length | Not fixed (typically 1–3 years) |
| Inaugural holder | Vice-Admiral (Acting) Henry Oliver |
| Formation | 1917-1968, 2013-current |
The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (D.C.N.S.) is a senior appointment in the Royal Navy currently held by the Second Sea Lord, usually a three-star rank and had a NATO ranking code of OF-8 but has previously been held by an acting two-star ranked officer and a four-star ranked officer.
The position was originally established in 1917 on the Board of Admiralty. It essentially replaced the position of Chief of the Admiralty War Staff.
The first incumbent was Vice-Admiral (Acting) Henry Oliver, the Chief of the Admiralty War Staff, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on 31 May 1917. The duties of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, were shared with the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff and with the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.
In September 1917 the new post of Deputy First Sea Lord was created to meet the demand of wartime operational requirements: the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff then reported to the Deputy First Sea Lord until 1919 when that post was abolished. The Deputy Chief Naval Staff then resumed his previous role and reported to the First Sea Lord until 1941 when this post was renamed Vice Chief of the Naval Staff due to restructuring within the British Armed Forces; this continued until 1946.
After the Second World War the title was changed back and continued until 1968 when it was abolished by the Admiralty Department.
In 2013 the office was brought back once more and the current Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff became both a member of the Admiralty Board and a member of the Navy Board of the Ministry of Defence.
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