The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური, tr) is a

chief of defence A chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national ...

and commander of the

Defence Forces of Georgia The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia (country), Georgia, tasked with the defence of ...

, under the authority of the Government of Georgia.

History

The position was (re)introduced in accordance with the Georgian Law on Defence of 31 October 2018. It had its precursor —the Commander-in-Chief of the Army— in the

Democratic Republic of Georgia The Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG; ka, საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა, tr) was the first modern establishment of a republic of Georgia (country), Georgia, which exist ...

from 1918 to 1921. From the 1990s until 2018 the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan) * Chief of the General Staff (Albania) * C ...

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. The first holder of the position was Lieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia. The incumbent is Major General

Giorgi Matiashvili Giorgi Matiashvili ( ka, გიორგი მათიაშვილი; born 18 December 1977) is a Georgian major general and the incumbent Chief of Defence Forces of Georgia, appointed on 1 July 2020. Born in the town of Gardabani, Mati ...

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 Combat readiness is a condition of the armed forces and their constituent units and formations, warships, aircraft, weapon systems or other military technology and equipment to perform during combat military operations, or functions consistent ...

and

mobilization Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...

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. The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is appointed and dismissed by the

President of Georgia The president of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, tr) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U ...

(on the advice of the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

) after the candidacy has been nominated by the

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

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.

List

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

Chiefs of Georgian Defence Forces (Since 2018)

References

{{Chief of military by country Chiefs of defence Military of Georgia (country) 2018 establishments in Georgia (country)