Nick Carter (born 1959)
British Army general; Chief of the General Staff 2014–2018 and Chief of the Defence Staff 2018–2021; in April 2020 publicly described 77th Brigade's work with the Cabinet Office Rapid Response Unit on COVID-19 disinformation
| Nick Carter
| |
|---|---|
| Image |  General Sir Nick Carter (GOV.UK) |
| Born | 1959 Nairobi, Kenya |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | British Army officer (retired) |
| Known for | Chief of the Defence Staff (2018–2021); Chief of the General Staff (2014–2018) |
| Predecessor | Stuart Peach (as Chief of the Defence Staff) |
General Sir Nicholas Patrick "Nick" Carter GCB CBE DSO (born 1959) is a retired British Army officer. He was Chief of the General Staff from 2014 to 2018 and Chief of the Defence Staff from June 2018 until Admiral Sir Tony Radakin took over on 30 November 2021.[1][2] He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1959.[3]
Military career
Carter joined the Army in 1977, aged 18, and was commissioned from Sandhurst into the Royal Green Jackets. He served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo, commanded a brigade in Iraq in 2003–04, and had repeated tours of Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013, including command of NATO's Regional Command South. He led the reorganisation known as Army 2020.[1] His appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff, succeeding Stuart Peach, was announced on 28 March 2018 under Theresa May's government.[4] He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 2019 Birthday Honours.[5]
As Chief of the General Staff he argued in a January 2018 speech that Russia's "influence and disinformation campaign is a form of 'system' warfare that seeks to de-legitimise the political and social system on which our military strength is based".[6]
In December 2020 he signed an agreement with the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, to strengthen defence ties. Since retiring he has provided strategic consulting to Israeli defence companies "in collaboration with Israel's Exigent Capital Group".[3]
77th Brigade and COVID-19
At the Downing Street briefing on 22 April 2020, Carter said: "We have been involved with the Cabinet Office rapid response unit, with our 77 Brigade helping to quash rumours from misinformation, but also to counter disinformation."[7] The Ministry of Defence confirmed that "a small team from the Ministry of Defence, including members of 77 Brigade, is supporting the Cabinet Office's Rapid Response Unit in its efforts to tackle disinformation".[8] The activation order for that deployment, dated 24 March 2020, was released in November 2024 and publicised by Action on Armed Violence (see 77th Brigade and Rapid Response Unit).[9]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 GOV.UK, General Sir Nick Carter GCB CBE DSO ADC Gen GOV.UK, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin KCB ADC appointed new Chief of the Defence Staff GOV.UK, 7 October 2021, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dean Shmuel Elmas, "We've all gained from Israel's experience" Globes, 29 December 2024, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence, General Sir Nick Carter appointed new Chief of the Defence Staff GOV.UK, 28 March 2018, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ The London Gazette, Supplement 62666 (Birthday Honours 2019) The London Gazette, 8 June 2019, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Nick Carter, Dynamic security threats and the British Army GOV.UK, speech at the Royal United Services Institute, 22 January 2018, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Press Association, Armed Forces chief: Coronavirus greatest logistic challenge in 40 years' service Express & Star, 22 April 2020, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence, COVID Support Force: the MOD's contribution to the coronavirus response GOV.UK, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Action on Armed Violence, Mission Creep? Freedom of Information disclosure proves 77th Brigade was deployed on UK operations during Covid pandemic AOAV (critical), 13 November 2024, accessed 22 October 2026.