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Chief of the Defence Staff is the head of the Lithuanian Defence Staff responsible for the administrative, operational, and logistical needs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

List of chiefs

Chiefs of the General Staff (1918–1940)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		KubiliusColonel (pulkininkas) Jurgis Kubilius [lt] (1875–1961)	23 November 1918	24 December 1918	30 days
2		LiatukasKarininkas Pranas Liatukas [lt] (1876–1945)	24 December 1918	4 March 1919	70 days
		AdamkaviciusKarininkas Edvardas Adamkavičius (1888–1957) Acting	4 March 1919	26 March 1919	22 days
3		ZukauskasGeneral Silvestras Žukauskas (1860–1937)	26 April 1919	27 May 1919	31 days
4		VelykisKarininkas Mykolas Velykis [lt] (1884–1955)	26 May 1919	7 October 1919	131 days
5		NastopkaLieutenant General Stasys Nastopka (1881–1939)	7 October 1919	13 July 1920	280 days
6		KatcheLieutenant General Maksimas Katche (1879–1933)	13 July 1920	21 August 1920	39 days
		BirontasMajor Adolfas Birontas [lt] (1885–1958) Acting	21 August 1920	23 August 1920	2 days
7		KlescinskisColonel Konstantinas Kleščinskis (1879–1927)	23 August 1920	13 April 1921	233 days
8		KatcheLieutenant General Maksimas Katche (1879–1933)	13 April 1921	7 October 1922	1 year, 177 days
		GriciusMajor Jonas Gricius [lt] (1884–1963) Acting	7 October 1922	6 November 1923	1 year, 30 days
9		RadusGeneral Leonas Radus-Zenkavičius [lt] (1874–1946)	6 November 1923	29 February 1924	115 days
		GriciusLieutenant colonel Jonas Gricius [lt] (1884–1963) Acting	29 February 1924	7 May 1925	1 year, 68 days
10		LadigaColonel of the General Staff Kazys Ladiga (1893–1941)	7 May 1925	16 September 1925	132 days
		GriciusLieutenant colonel Jonas Gricius [lt] (1884–1963) Acting	16 September 1925	19 October 1925	33 days
11		LadigaLieutenant general Kazys Ladiga (1893–1941)	19 October 1925	22 June 1926	246 days
12		SkirpaLieutenant colonel of the General Staff Kazys Škirpa (1895–1979)	22 June 1926	24 December 1926	185 days
13		DaukantasColonel Teodoras Daukantas (1884–1960)	24 December 1926	11 August 1927	230 days
14		PlechaviciusColonel of the General Staff Povilas Plechavičius (1890–1973)	11 August 1927	10 February 1929	1 year, 183 days
15		KubiliunasLieutenant general Petras Kubiliūnas (1894–1946)	10 February 1929	7 June 1934	5 years, 117 days
16		JackusLieutenant general Jonas Jackus [lt] (1894–1977)	7 June 1934	21 September 1934	106 days
17		RastikisLieutenant colonel of the General Staff Stasys Raštikis (1896–1985)	21 September 1934	1 January 1935	102 days
18		CerniusColonel of the General Staff Jonas Černius (1898–1977)	1 January 1935	30 March 1939	4 years, 88 days
19		PundzeviciusDivisional general Stasys Pundzevičius (1893–1980)	1 April 1939	15 June 1940	1 year, 75 days

Chiefs of the Defence Staff (since 1990)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Satff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		VidrinskasColonel Norbertas Vidrinskas	21 May 1991	3 February 1992	258 days
2		TutkusColonel Valdas Tutkus (born 1960)	3 February 1992	1 February 1993	364 days
3		KnezysColonel Stasys Knezys [lt] (1948–2011)	1 February 1993	3 January 1994	336 days
4		TutkuColonel Valdas Tutkus (born 1960)	3 January 1994	1 November 1996	2 years, 303 days
5		JurgaitisColonel Antanas Jurgaitis [lt] (born 1957)	4 November 1996	17 March 2003	6 years, 133 days
6		VaiksnorasMajor general Vitalijus Vaikšnoras [lt] (born 1961)	24 April 2003	30 June 2008	5 years, 67 days
7		VaiceliunasAlgis Vaičeliūnas [lt] (born 1961)	23 April 2008	29 June 2011	3 years, 67 days
8		TamosaitisBrigade general Vilmantas Tamošaitis [lt] (born 1966)	29 June 2011	16 August 2016	5 years, 48 days
9		VaiksnorasMajor general Vitalijus Vaikšnoras [lt] (born 1961)	16 August 2016	29 July 2019	2 years, 344 days
10		ZenkeviciusBrigade general Gintautas Zenkevičius [lt] (born 1962)	29 July 2019	25 September 2020	1 year, 57 days
11		SteponaviciusBrigade general Mindaugas Steponavičius (born 1974)	25 September 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 112 days

Notes

1. During 2008, the Defence Staff was superseded by the Joint Staff. The Defence Staff continued to function until May 2011 and was led by Kęstutis Macijauskas (2008–2010) and Edvardas Mažeikis (2010–2011).

References

1. ^ "Lietuvos kariuomenės štabo viršininkai 1918–2008 m." (PDF). Krašto apsauga (in Lithuanian). 20 (149): 4. 19 November 2008. ISSN 2029-4565.
2. "KAM pajėgumų ir ginkluotės generaliniu direktoriumi tapo A.Leika" (in Lithuanian). Respublika.lt. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
3. "Tarnybą pradėjo naujasis Gynybos štabo viršininkas" (in Lithuanian). Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
4. "Jungtinis štabas". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. 2 September 2019 .
5. "Pasikeitė Jungtinio štabo vadovybė" (in Lithuanian). Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
6. "Major General V. Vaikšnoras will head the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces". Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
7. Jakučionis, Saulius (23 July 2019). "Gynybos štabo viršininku taps Zenkevičius, Sausumos pajėgų vadu – Vaikšnoras" (in Lithuanian). LRT.lt. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
8. Jačauskas, Ignas (24 September 2020). "Gynybos štabui vadovaus Mindaugas Steponavičius" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

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