Chief of Defence Forces (Georgia)

The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces (Georgian: საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური, romanized: sakartvelos tavdatsvis dzalebis metauri) is a chief of defence and commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia, under the authority of the Government of Georgia.

Chief of Defence Forces of Georgia
საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური
Coat of Arms of the Defence Forces
Flag of the Defence Forces
Incumbent Major General Giorgi Matiashvili since 1 July 2020
Ministry of Defence of Georgia Defence Forces of Georgia
Member of	National Security Council
Reports to	Minister of Defence Prime Minister President
Residence	Tbilisi
Appointer	President of Georgia on the advice of the Prime Minister
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Georgia Law on Defence of Georgia
Precursor	Chief of General Staff
Formation	31 October 2018
First holder	Vladimer Chachibaia
Deputy	Chief of General Staff

History

The position was (re)introduced in accordance with the Georgian Law on Defence of 31 October 2018.^[1] It had its precursor —the Commander-in-Chief of the Army— in the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. From the 1990s until 2018 the Chief of the General Staff was the highest-ranking military officer in the Georgian military, chief military adviser to the President, and wartime commander of the Armed Forces of Georgia.^[2]

The first holder of the position was Lieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia.^[3] The incumbent is Major General Giorgi Matiashvili.^[4]

Functions and responsibilities

The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is a chief military officer in the Georgian Defence Forces (GDF). They oversee the coherence of the armed forces organization, combat readiness and mobilization as well as military development of the GDF, and are responsible for conduct of operations in war, including plans of use, general articulation of forces, and distribution of operational means between various groups of forces. The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is aided, in their functions, by the General Staff of the Georgian Defence Forces. One of the Chief's deputies can, simultaneously, serve as the Chief of the General Staff.^[1]

The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is appointed and dismissed by the President of Georgia (on the advice of the Prime Minister) after the candidacy has been nominated by the Minister of Defence and submitted to the Presidency by the Government of Georgia. The nominee must have the highest military rank and high military education. The Chief reports to the Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister, and the President.^[1]

List

Commanders-in-Chief of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

No.	Portrait	Commander in Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Kvinitadze, GiorgiMajor general Giorgi Kvinitadze (1874–1970)	26 May 1918	13 December 1920	2 years, 201 days
2		Odishelidze, IliaGeneral of the army Ilia Odishelidze (1865–1924)	13 December 1920	16 February 1921	65 days
(1)		Kvinitadze, GiorgiMajor general Giorgi Kvinitadze (1874–1970)	16 February 1921	17 March 1921	29 days

Chiefs of Georgian Defence Forces (Since 2018)

No.	Portrait	Chiefs of Defence Forces	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Chachibaia, VladimerLieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia (born 1971)	20 December 2018	1 July 2020	1 year, 194 days	[3]
2		Matiashvili, GiorgiMajor General Giorgi Matiashvili (born 1977)	1 July 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 296 days	[4]