Lieutenant General Sir Simon Hamilton KBE

Deputy Chief of the General Staff British Army

Lieutenant General Sir Simon Hamilton was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1995. Over a career spanning more than three decades, his regimental appointments included service as the Engineering Officer to the King's Royal Hussars, Commanding Officer of 2 Close Support Battalion REME, and Commander 101 Logistics Brigade. He has deployed on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His professional military education includes the Australian Command and Staff Course and the Higher Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy.

In staff roles, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of 20th Armoured Brigade before moving to the Ministry of Defence for his initial SO1 appointment in Force Design. He subsequently undertook several pivotal leadership roles, including Head Equipment at Army Headquarters, Head Vehicle Support Team at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), and Head Customer Design, leading Acquisition Reform at the Ministry of Defence.

Following promotion to Major General, he was appointed Director Support and later Director Programmes at Army Headquarters. In these appointments, he was responsible for the sustainment of the Army's equipment fleet and the delivery of major capability programmes, overseeing significant elements of the Army's modernisation agenda. He also played a key role in the development of the Army Operating Model and it's contribution to the 2021 Integrated Review.

In 2023, he was appointed Director General (Land) at DE&S before becoming Deputy Chief Executive and Director General Systems Integration, helping to lead the organisation through a period of substantial transformation and reform. In October 2025, he assumed the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer of DE&S, guiding the organisation through its transition to new structures under the National Armaments Director.

In April 2026 he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Lt Gen Hamilton was appointed Master General REME on 1 April 2026. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2018, and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the King's Birthday Honours 2026.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, he is Vice President of Army Nordic and Biathlon and President of Army Boxing. A Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Chartered Engineer, he remains a passionate advocate for engineering and leadership development. He is married with four children and enjoys Nordic skiing, engineering projects and exploring the countryside in his camper van.