Defence Equipment and Support

Defence Equipment and Support is a trading entity and organisation within the UK Ministry of Defence. It began operating on 2 April 2007 following the merger of the MoD's Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics Organisation, under the leadership of General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue as the first Chief of Defence Materiel.The organisation had a civilian and military workforce of around 29,000, in the UK and abroad. DE&S operates as a single Top Level Budget. As of 2008 the DE&S workforce was around 24,500, further reducing under the 'PACE' business improvement programme to around 21,000 by 2012. Of this, around 8,000 posts have been housed at Abbey Wood since 2012.HistoryDefence Equipment and Support was established on 2 April 2007.DE&S is overseen by the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.Senior officialsThe organisation is under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Materiel, a four-star officer: an Admiral, General, Air Chief Marshal or civilian. After the restructuring in 2011 there are four three-star posts under the Chief of Defence Materiel. These are the positions of Chief of Materiel (Fleet), a Royal Navy Vice Admiral, and Chief of Materiel (Land), a British Army Lieutenant General (who also holds the appointment of Quartermaster-General to the Forces), Chief of Materiel (Air), a Royal Air Force Air Marshal and Chief of Materiel (Joint Enablers).