| Director Special Forces | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ministry of Defence Special Forces | |
| Reports to | Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Nominator | Secretary of State for Defence |
| Appointer | The Monarch On the advice of the Prime Minister, subject to formal approval by theKing-in-Council |
| Term length | Not fixed typically 3–4 years |
Director Special Forces (DSF) is the seniorBritish Armed Forces officer responsible for theUnited Kingdom Special Forces. The post is a senior role within theMinistry of Defence (MoD).[1] As director, the incumbent is responsible for the provision of special forces capability to MoD, and holds operational command for discrete special forces operations.[1]
The post ofColonel SAS (Special Air Service) was created in 1964; this post evolved into Director SAS with the post holder commanding the SAScorps from 1969.[2]
In March 1987, the post of Director SAS became Director Special Forces; it consisted of theArmy'sSpecial Air Service,Royal Navy'sSpecial Boat Service and the Army's14 Intelligence Company under the command of the DSF, who held therank ofbrigadier, and with a Deputy, who held the rank of colonel.[2][3][4]
During the 2000s, the size of the directorate increased substantially with the inclusion of theSpecial Forces Support Group and theJoint Special Forces Aviation Wing. Other changes included the 14th Intelligence Company renamed as theSpecial Reconnaissance Regiment. This was to meet a demand for a special reconnaissance capability identified in theStrategic Defence Review: A New Chapter published in 2002 in response to the 2001September 11 attacks.[5] Following a review, it was found that the SAS Reserve lacked a clearly defined role, and also stated that the reservists lacked the capability, equipment, and skills to serve alongside the regular special forces. What followed was a reduction in the scope of UK Special Forces.[6] As an outcome of this review, on 1 September 2014, 21 and 23 SAS were removed from the UKSF order of battle[7] and placed with theHonourable Artillery Company (HAC), under the command of1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.[8][9] This change was partly reversed in 2019 with 21 and 23 SAS returning as an integrated part of the UKSF group.[10]
In 2008, the rank of the DSF was upgraded from brigadier tomajor-general with the directorate becoming an independent, operational-level component command, alongside Land, Navy and Air elements in thePermanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) and in the deployable Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ).[11][4]
The DSF is accountable to only theDefence Secretary and thePrime Minister. UKSF may operate in locations where the UK does not formally acknowledge a military presence.[12]
Commanders of special forces have been:[11]
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