Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force

Chief of the Air Command
Chief of the Air Command
Chef for Flyverkommandoen
	Incumbent; Major General Jan Dam; since 15 May 2021
	Royal Danish Air Force
Member of	Defence Command of Denmark
Reports to	Chief of Defence
Term length	No fixed length
Precursor	Chief of the Tactical Air Command
Formation	February 1913 (historical); 1 October 2014 (current)
Website	Official Website

The Chief of the Air Command is the topmost authority in the Royal Danish Air Force. It can trace its history back to the creation of the Chief for the Naval Air Service, in 1913. The current chief of the Air Force is Major general Jan Dam.^[1]

History

On 14 December 1911, the Naval Air Service was established. On 25 March 1912, the Royal Danish Navy received its first airplane the Kite, in 1913 the first chief was named.^[2] In 1912, the Army Air Corps was established. The first chief was named in 1917. Following the destruction of the air forces during World War II, it was decided that the two forces should be collected under one force. From 1947 till the creation of the RDAF, Torben Ørum served as Combined Army and Naval Air Corps Chief. In 1950, the Air Command and the position of Chief of the Air Force was created. With the creation of the Defence Staff and Chief of Defence, in 1970, the Chief of the Air Force was subjugated to the CoD.^[3] In 1982, the title of Chief of the Air Force was changed to become Inspector of the Air Force.^[4] Following the 1988 Defence Commission, it was decided that the Air Staff and the positions of Inspector would be removed and then create the Tactical Air Command.^[5]^[6] Following the Danish Defence Agreement 2013–17, the Tactical Air Command was disbanded and reorganised into the Air Staff. On 1 January 2019, as part of the Danish Defence Agreement 2018–23, the Danish name was changed Air Command.^[7]

List of chiefs

Naval Air Service (1913–1947)

No.	Chief for the Naval Air Service	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Birck, UlrikUlrik Birch (1883–1913) ^[a]	February 1913	October 1913 †	8 months	^[2]
2	Hoeck, AxelFirst lieutenant Axel Hoeck (?–1915) ^[a]	14 April 1914	27 July 1915 †	1 year, 3 months	^[2]
3	Laub, FrederkFirst lieutenant Frederik W. H. Laub (1887–1945)	27 July 1915	March 1918	2 years, 7 months	^[8]
4	Grandjean, AsgerCommodore Asger Grandjean (1889–1948)	March 1918	31 October 1941	23 years, 7 months	^[9]^[10]^[11]
5	Scheibel, PovlCommodore Povl Scheibel (1893–?)	31 October 1941	1 December 1947	6 years, 1 month	^[12]

Army Aviation Troops (1917–1947)

No.	Chief for the Army Aviation Troops	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Koch, JohanColonel Johan Peter Koch (1870–1928)	1917	13 January 1928 †	10–11 years	^[13]
2	Hansen, HansColonel Hans Oluf Hansen (1879–1967)	1928	1932	3–4 years	^[14]
3	Førslev, ChristianColonel Christian Førslev [da] (1891–1959)	1 November 1932	1945	7–8 years	^[15]
4	Andersen, TageColonel Tage Andersen (1899–1965)	1945	1947	1–2 years	^[16]

Combined Army and Naval Air Corps (1947–1950)

No.	Picture	Chief for the Combined Army and Naval Air Corps	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Ørum, TorbenColonel Torben Ploug Aagesen Ørum (1901–1999)	1 December 1947	1 October 1950	2 years, 304 days	^[17]^[18]

Air Command (1950–1969)

No.	Chief of the Air Command	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Førslev, ChristianLieutenant general Christian Førslev [da] (1891–1959)	1 October 1950	31 October 1955	5 years, 30 days	^[19]
2	Førslev, ChristianLieutenant general Tage Andersen (1899–1965)	1 November 1955	15 June 1959	3 years, 226 days	^[20]
3	Ramberg, KurtLieutenant general Kurt Ramberg [da] (1908–1997)	15 June 1959	30 September 1962	3 years, 107 days	^[21]
4	Pagh, HLieutenant general H. J. Pagh	1 October 1962	31 December 1969	7 years, 91 days	–

Air Staff (1970–1990)

No.	Chief of the Air Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
Chief of the Air Force
1	Førslev, ChristianMajor general Niels Holst-Sørensen (born 1922)	1 January 1970	26 May 1982	12 years	^[22]
Inspector of the Air Force
2	Thorsen, P.Major general P. Thorsen	26 May 1982	1984	1–2 years	–
3	Larsens, BentMajor general Bent Vilhelm Larsens (1930–2014)	1984	1990	5–6 years	^[23]

Tactical Air Command (1990–2014)

No.	Chief of Tactical Air Command	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Fogh, OleMajor general Ole Fogh [da] (born 1934)	1990	1994	3–4 years	^[24]
2	Tophøj, LauritsMajor general Laurits Tophøj (born 1940)	1994	1997	2–3 years	^[25]
3	Rosgaard, KurtMajor general Kurt Ebbe Rosgaard (born 1946)	1997	2000	2–3 years	^[26]
4	Simonsen, LeifMajor general Leif Simonsen [da] (born 1945)	2000	2005	4–5 years	^[27]
5	Nielsen, StigMajor general Stig Østergaard Nielsen (born 1954)	2005	2009	3–4 years	^[28]
6	Nielsen, StigMajor general Henrik Røboe Dam	2009	30 September 2014	4–5 years	^[29]

Air Staff (2014–2018)

No.	Picture	Chief of Air Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Nielsen, MaxMajor general Max A.L.T. Nielsen (born 1963)	1 October 2014	31 October 2017	3 years, 30 days	^[30]
2		Rex, AndersMajor general Anders Rex (born 1970)	1 November 2017	31 December 2018	1 year, 60 days	^[31]

Air Command (2019–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Major general Anders Rex (born 1970)	1 January 2019	1 May 2021	2 years, 120 days	^[32]
–		Major general Jan Dam (born 1964)	1 May 2021	15 May 2021	14 days	^[32]
2		Major general Jan Dam (born 1964)	15 May 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 261 days	^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Died in a plane crash

Citations

^ ^a ^b Forsvarskommandoen 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Probst 1998, p. 5.
^ Schrøder, Hans A. (31 January 2009). "Flyverkommandoen". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Schrøder, Hans A. (31 January 2009). "Flyvevåbnet". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Folketinget (25 April 1990). "1989/1 LSF 189" (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2018.
^ Danish Defence (1989). "Forsvaret i 90'erne". Beretning fra Forsvarskommissionen af 1988 (PDF) (in Danish). Schultz Grafisk A/S. ISBN 978-87-503-8209-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
^ "Forsvarschefen om implementeringen af Forsvarsforliget". DSM (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
^ Probst 1998, p. 8.
^ Balsved, Johnny E. (1 April 2009). "Marinens Flyvevæsen - Søværnets Flyvetjeneste". navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Bjerg, Hans Christian (18 July 2011). "Asger Grandjean". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Probst 1998, p. 10.
^ Probst 1998, p. 35.
^ "Hærens Flyvertropper 1912-1943". Flyvevåbnets Historiske Samling (in Danish). Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ "Hærordning 1922 - 1932". arma-dania.dk (in Danish). 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Fogh, Ole (18 July 2011). "Christian Førslev". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ "Blaa Bog 1949" (in Danish). Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Alsøer, Dolleris & Ege 1975, p. 25.
^ Wolff, E. H. (18 July 2011). "T.P.A. Ørum". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Wolff, E. H. "Christian Førslev". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ "Hærloven af 18. Juni 1951". Arma-Dania.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ Hillingsø, Kjeld. "Kurt Ramberg". denstoredanske.dk/ (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
^ Harding, Merete; Vangdrup, Arne. "Niels Holst-Sørensen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ "Bent Vilhelm Larsen". gravsted.dk/ (in Danish). Retrieved 7 November 2019.
^ "Pilot med handelstalent". viborg-folkeblad.dk (in Danish). Viborg Stifts Folkeblad. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ "Rundt i morgen". Kristeligt-Dagblad.dk (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ "Lieutenant General Kurt Ebbe Rosgaard". nato.int. NATO. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ Stenstrup, Mads (11 April 2005). "40 år som sendt fra himlen". jyllands-posten.dk (in Danish). JP/Politikens Hus A/S. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Boddum, Dorte Ipsen (31 August 2014). "Flyverchefen fløj mod nord". jyllands-posten.dk (in Danish). JP/Politikens Hus A/S. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ Brøndum, Christian (16 February 2013). "Flyvevåbnets chef stod til degradering". berlingske.dk. Berlingske Media. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^ "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ "Nye chefer for Marinestaben og Flyverstaben". fmn.dk (in Danish). Forsvarsministeriet. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
^ ^a ^b Rasmussen 2021.

References

Alsøer, P-E. H.; Dolleris, Å. H.; Ege, L. A. T., eds. (1975). Flyvevåbnet 1950-1975 (in Danish). Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force.
Forsvarskommandoen (12 May 2021). "To kommandochefer udnævnt". forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2021.
Probst, Niels M. (1998). Dansk Marineflyvning 1911-1998 (PDF) (in Danish). Orlogsmuseet. ISBN 87-87720-15-9. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
Rasmussen, Peter Ernstved (16 May 2021). "Mandag overtager nye chefer ansvaret for henholdsvis Hæren og Flyvevåbnet". olfi.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[dead-8] Died in a plane crash

[FOOTNOTEForsvarskommandoen2021-1] Forsvarskommandoen 2021.

[FOOTNOTEProbst19985-2] Probst 1998, p. 5.

[3] Schrøder, Hans A. (31 January 2009). "Flyverkommandoen". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[4] Schrøder, Hans A. (31 January 2009). "Flyvevåbnet". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[5] Folketinget (25 April 1990). "1989/1 LSF 189" (in Danish). Retrieved 30 August 2018.

[6] Danish Defence (1989). "Forsvaret i 90'erne". Beretning fra Forsvarskommissionen af 1988 (PDF) (in Danish). Schultz Grafisk A/S. ISBN 978-87-503-8209-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.

[7] "Forsvarschefen om implementeringen af Forsvarsforliget". DSM (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.

[FOOTNOTEProbst19988-9] Probst 1998, p. 8.

[10] Balsved, Johnny E. (1 April 2009). "Marinens Flyvevæsen - Søværnets Flyvetjeneste". navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[11] Bjerg, Hans Christian (18 July 2011). "Asger Grandjean". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[FOOTNOTEProbst199810-12] Probst 1998, p. 10.

[FOOTNOTEProbst199835-13] Probst 1998, p. 35.

[14] "Hærens Flyvertropper 1912-1943". Flyvevåbnets Historiske Samling (in Danish). Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[15] "Hærordning 1922 - 1932". arma-dania.dk (in Danish). 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[16] Fogh, Ole (18 July 2011). "Christian Førslev". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[17] "Blaa Bog 1949" (in Danish). Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[FOOTNOTEAlsøerDollerisEge197525-18] Alsøer, Dolleris & Ege 1975, p. 25.

[19] Wolff, E. H. (18 July 2011). "T.P.A. Ørum". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[20] Wolff, E. H. "Christian Førslev". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[21] "Hærloven af 18. Juni 1951". Arma-Dania.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[22] Hillingsø, Kjeld. "Kurt Ramberg". denstoredanske.dk/ (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[23] Harding, Merete; Vangdrup, Arne. "Niels Holst-Sørensen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3rd ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[24] "Bent Vilhelm Larsen". gravsted.dk/ (in Danish). Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[25] "Pilot med handelstalent". viborg-folkeblad.dk (in Danish). Viborg Stifts Folkeblad. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[26] "Rundt i morgen". Kristeligt-Dagblad.dk (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[27] "Lieutenant General Kurt Ebbe Rosgaard". nato.int. NATO. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[28] Stenstrup, Mads (11 April 2005). "40 år som sendt fra himlen". jyllands-posten.dk (in Danish). JP/Politikens Hus A/S. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[29] Boddum, Dorte Ipsen (31 August 2014). "Flyverchefen fløj mod nord". jyllands-posten.dk (in Danish). JP/Politikens Hus A/S. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[30] Brøndum, Christian (16 February 2013). "Flyvevåbnets chef stod til degradering". berlingske.dk. Berlingske Media. Retrieved 15 October 2018.

[31] "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[32] "Nye chefer for Marinestaben og Flyverstaben". fmn.dk (in Danish). Forsvarsministeriet. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

[FOOTNOTERasmussen2021-33] Rasmussen 2021.

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