Armed Forces - m06 - Management of Defence - Permanent Joint Headquarters - Chief of Joint Operations - Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE (PJHQ)

PERMANENT JOINT HEADQUARTERS
(PJHQ)

SUMMARY
OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
PJHQ COMMANDER - CHIEF OF JOINT OPERATIONS
PJHQ IN THE MoD CHAIN OF COMMAND
HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE




SUMMARY

The UK MoD established a Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood in Middlesex for joint military operations on 1 April 1996. This headquarters brought together, on a permanent basis, intelligence, planning, operational and logistics staffs. It contains elements of a rapidly deployable in-theatre Joint Force Headquarters that has the capability of commanding rapid deployment front line forces.

The establishment of PJHQ was an attempt to provide a truly joint force headquarters that would remedy the problems of disruption, duplication and the somewhat 'ad hoc' way in which previous operations had been organised.

PJHQ is commanded by the Chief of Joint Operations (CJO), (from March 2009 Air Marshal S W Peach CBE BA MPhil DTech FRAeS RAF) who occupies existing accommodation above and below ground at Northwood in Middlesex. PJHQ is responsible for planning all UK-led joint, potentially joint, combined and multinational operations and works in close partnership with MoD Head Office in the planning of operations and policy formulation, thus ensuring PJHQ is well placed to implement policy. Having planned the operation, and contributed advice to Ministers, PJHQ will then conduct such operations. Amongst its many tasks PJHQ is currently (early 2009) engaged in planning and conducting UK military involvement in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

When another nation is in the lead, PJHQ exercises operational command of UK forces deployed on the operation. Being a Permanent Joint Headquarters, PJHQ provides continuity of experience from the planning phase to the execution of the operation, and on to post-operation evaluation and learning of lessons.

Principal additional tasks include

  • Monitoring designated areas of operational interest

  • Preparing contingency plans

  • Contributions to the UK MoD's decision making process

  • Exercise of operational control of overseas commands (Falklands, Cyprus and Gibraltar)

  • Managing its own budget

  • Formulation of joint warfare doctrine at operational and tactical levels

  • Conducting joint force exercises

  • Focus for Joint Rapid Reaction Force planning and exercising
     

OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

From 1 Aug 1996, PJHQ assumed responsibility for military operations worldwide. Non-core functions, such as the day-to-day management of the Overseas Commands in Cyprus, Falkland Islands, and Gibraltar, are also delegated by MoD Head Office to the PJHQ. This allows MoD Head Office to concentrate in particular on policy formulation and strategic direction. As of early 2009 PJHQ has been involved with UK commitments in the following areas:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bosnia, Burundi, East Timor, Eritrea, Honduras, Iraq, Kosovo, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, East Zaire, West Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Operations for which PJHQ is not responsible include: UK Strategic Nuclear Deterrent; Defence of the UK Home Base; Defence of UK Territorial Waters and Airspace; Support to the Civil Power in Northern Ireland; Counter-terrorism in the UK and Operations in support of NATO (Article V General War).

PJHQ COMMANDER - CHIEF OF JOINT OPERATIONS


Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE

Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE

Lieutenant General John Lorimer joined the British Army in 1981 and was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment. He served in all three regular Parachute Regiment battalions in a number of regimental appointments and attended the Army Staff College in 1994. This was followed by two years as a company commander in 1 PARA. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he was posted to the MoD (Commitments), prior to commanding 3 PARA. During his tenure of command, the battalion deployed twice to Northern Ireland, as well as taking part in operations in Iraq in 2003.

On promotion to Colonel, Lieutenant General Lorimer served at US CENTCOM and attended the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. He was then posted to the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in the appointment of Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff J3A/Land in April 2004 for 7 months, prior to moving to the J5 (Plans) Division. He was then selected for promotion to Brigadier and command of 12 Mech Bde in June 2005, taking over command of the Brigade in Basra in South East Iraq. In 2007 he commanded 12 Mech Bde in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan.

After attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2008, Lieutenant General Lorimer returned to Northwood, this time as ACOS J3. He was then promoted to Major General in November 2010 and served as the Chief of Defence Staff’s Strategic Communication Officer and the MoD’s operational media spokesman. He then assumed command of 3 (UK) Div in June 2011, training the UK brigades for operations in Afghanistan. He then assumed the appointment of Deputy Commander ISAF and UK National Contingent Commander in July 2013 and completed a year-long tour in Kabul. He took over as Chief of Joint Operations in October 2014.

Lieutenant General Lorimer is married to Philippa and they have sons. His hobbies include shooting, deer stalking and Scottish rugby, the last of which causes him no end of frustration. Lieutenant General Lorimer is President of the Army Winter Sports Association, President of the Army Rugby Union and President of the Army Parachuting Association. He is also Colonel Commandant of The Parachute Regiment.

HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE

The PJHQ Headquarters at Northwood brings together about 600 civilian, specialist and tri-service military staff from across the MoD. The headquarters structure resembles the normal Divisional organisation, but staff operate within multidisciplinary groups which are drawn from across the headquarters.

The headquarters must have the capability of supporting a number of operations simultaneously on behalf of the UK MoD.

Notes:
(1) CJO Chief of Joint Operations
(2) *** Denotes the rank of the incumbent
(3) DCJO – Deputy Chief of Joint Operations; DCJO (Ops Sp) Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (Operational Support)
(4) ACOS - Assistant Chief of Staff

CJO has a civilian Command Secretary who provides a wide range of policy, legal, presentational, financial and civilian human resources advice.

PJHQ Departments

J1 Personnel and Admin
J2 Intelligence
J3 Operations (Sea-Air-Land)
J4 Logistics/Medical
J5 Policy and Crisis Planning
J6 Communication and Information Systems
J7 Joint Training
J8 Finance and Human Resources
J9 Legal
JFHQ High Readiness Deployable Commander
JFLog CHQ Standing Deployable Logistic Component Commander


ANNUAL PJHQ BUDGET

The annual PJHQ budget is in the region of £475 million (2007/08 – Capital + Resource DEL). The annual running costs of the Headquarters is estimated at approximately £50 million.

Included in the overall PJHQ budget are the costs of the UK forces in the Falkland Islands, Cyprus and Gibraltar. Major operations such as the ongoing
operational commitment in Afghanistan and the ongoing commitment in Iraq are funded separately by way of a supplementary budget, and in almost all cases this requires government- level approval. Small operations and the cost of reconnaissance parties are funded from the standard PJHQ budget.

PJHQ IN THE MOD CHAIN OF COMMAND

Note: The Defence and Overseas Policy Committee (DOPC) is responsible for the strategic direction of the UK Government’s defence and overseas policy.

The DOPC is chaired by the Prime Minister and members include the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Deputy Chair); Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State; Chancellor of the Exchequer; Secretary of State for Defence; Secretary of State for the Home Department; Secretary of State for International Development; Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

If necessary, other ministers, the Heads of the Intelligence Agencies and the Chief of Defence Staff may be invited to attend.