# Simon Hamilton (British Army officer)
**Lieutenant General Sir Simon Peter Hamilton, KBE** is a senior [British Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-army) officer who has served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), the Army's second-in-command under the Chief of the General Staff, since April 2026.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) Before that appointment he led Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the Ministry of Defence organization that equips the UK Armed Forces, first as Director General Land, then as Deputy CEO, and from October 2025 as interim CEO.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) • [2](https://des.mod.uk/lt-gen-simon-hamilton-becomes-des-new-director-general-land/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and rank | Lieutenant General Simon Peter Hamilton[3](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-military-division-of-the-kings-birthday-honours-list-2026) |
| Current post | Deputy Chief of the General Staff since April 2026, succeeding Lieutenant General Sir David Eastman[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) |
| Honours | KBE (King's Birthday Honours 2026, advanced from CBE); CBE (2018); OBE (2010)[3](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-military-division-of-the-kings-birthday-honours-list-2026) • [4](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sihamilton) |
| DE&S career | Head Vehicle Support 2017–2019; Director General Land from January 2024; Deputy CEO; interim CEO from October 2025[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) • [2](https://des.mod.uk/lt-gen-simon-hamilton-becomes-des-new-director-general-land/) |
| DCGS responsibilities | Represents the Army Top Level Budget, oversees the Army Operating Model, and acts as the Army's Principal Personnel Officer[5](https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/command-structure/) |
## Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Hamilton's move to the Army's top headquarters was announced by DE&S on 17 March 2026: he would leave the organization at the end of March and succeed Lieutenant General Sir David Eastman as DCGS in April, serving as second-in-command to Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) The British Army's command structure page lists the DCGS as responsible for representing the Army Top Level Budget within Head Office and outwards to relevant TLBs and dependencies, providing oversight of the Army Operating Model, and giving overall personnel policy direction as the Principal Personnel Officer.[5](https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/command-structure/) The Army's senior leaders page lists him as Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton KBE in the DCGS post.[6](https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/senior-leaders-biographies/)
At DE&S, Hamilton described the post in capability terms: as DCGS he would lead the Army's Force Design, overseeing personnel and capabilities, and work to strengthen the partnership between the Army and the National Armaments Director Group in delivering and sustaining the Army's warfighting capabilities.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/)
## Defence Equipment & Support
**Long association with DE&S.** Hamilton's career has alternated between the Army and its equipment organization. He served as Head Vehicle Support in DE&S's Land Equipment Operating Centre from 2017 to 2019.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/) He then served as the Army's Director Logistics Support and Engineering and then Director Programmes, until the summer of 2023, when he rejoined DE&S as Director General Land.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/)
In January 2024 he formally took over as DE&S Director General Land, with approval from King Charles III, succeeding Chris Bushell. The role carries overall responsibility for DE&S's Land Domain and delivery programs covering Land Equipment, Helicopters, and Weapons.[2](https://des.mod.uk/lt-gen-simon-hamilton-becomes-des-new-director-general-land/) Under DE&S's new operating model he subsequently took the role of Director General System Integration, then served as Deputy CEO to Andy Start, and became interim CEO in October 2025.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/)
Describing his own career at the time of the DCGS announcement, Hamilton said he had followed a "zig-zag career" of leading soldiers on operations, designing capability portfolios, delivering programs, and contributing to restructures of both the Army and DE&S.[1](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/)
## Honours
Hamilton was appointed an OBE in 2010 and a CBE in 2018.[4](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sihamilton) In the King's Birthday Honours List 2026, published by the Ministry of Defence on 12 June 2026 and appearing in the London Gazette on Saturday 13 June, he was promoted within the military division of the [Order of the British Empire](https://www.edgepedia.org/order-of-the-british-empire) from [Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander) to Knight Commander (KBE), one of sixty-nine soldiers and officers honored in the Army list that year.[3](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-military-division-of-the-kings-birthday-honours-list-2026) • [7](https://www.army.mod.uk/news/Kings-Birthday-Honours-2026-The-Army-List/) The honor carries the title Sir.[4](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sihamilton)
## References
1. [DE&S CEO Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton will be the British Army's next Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), Defence Equipment & Support, 17 March 2026](https://www.des.mod.uk/des-ceo-lieutenant-general-simon-hamilton-will-be-the-british-army-s-next-deputy-chief-of-the-general-staff-dcgs/)
2. [Lt Gen Simon Hamilton becomes DE&S' new Director General Land, Defence Equipment & Support, 19 January 2024](https://des.mod.uk/lt-gen-simon-hamilton-becomes-des-new-director-general-land/)
3. [The Military division of The King's Birthday Honours List 2026, GOV.UK, 12 June 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-military-division-of-the-kings-birthday-honours-list-2026)
4. [Sir Simon Hamilton, UK Ministry of Defence, LinkedIn profile](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sihamilton)
5. [Command structure, The British Army](https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/command-structure/)
6. [Senior leaders, The British Army](https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/senior-leaders-biographies/)
7. [King's Birthday Honours 2026: The Army List, British Army](https://www.army.mod.uk/news/Kings-Birthday-Honours-2026-The-Army-List/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Conflict and security › Military and security biographies › Army generals and senior officers (modern era) › British and Commonwealth officers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license