Teodoro Esteban López Calderón AO (born 3 May 1954) is a

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigat ...

Admiral General who serves as the 12th and current Chief of the Defence Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces since 27 January 2021. Previously, he served as Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy from 2017 and 2021.

Biography

López Calderón was born in 1954 in the city of Cartagena and joined the

after graduating at the

Escuela Naval Militar The Naval Military Academy ( es, Escuela Naval Militar, ENM), at Marín, Pontevedra, in north-western Spain, is a coeducational naval academy that educates officers for commissioning primarily into the Spanish Navy and Spanish Navy Marines. Hist ...

in 1973. He is a specialist in electronics, tactics and weapons systems. He also completed various courses locally and abroad, such as the Senior Course at the

NATO Defense College NATO Defense College (NDC) is the international military college for North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. It is located in Rome, Italy. History The idea of a NATO Defense College originated with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the ...

, the Navy General Staff Course, Electronics Expert courses, and the Tactical Action Office course. Throughout his naval career, he held the command of the Villaamil (P-04) patrol vessel, the 2nd Minesweeper Squadron , the frigate Cataluña (F73), the 41st Escort Squadron (Frigates), and the Naval Action Group 2. During the latter, López Calderón took part in

Operation Active Endeavor Operation Active Endeavour was a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It had collateral benefit ...

, as the 2nd Group included the Spanish surface ships that were assigned to the mission.http://www.galiciaartabradigital.com/archivos/154501 El almirante general Teodoro López Calderón nombrado nuevo AJEMA
. GaliciaArtabra. Published 31 March 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017. He also served on various ships of the Spanish Navy, such as the Descubierta (F31), the Asturias (F74), the Extremadura (F75), and the Numancia (F83). He also served as the Chief of Staff of the 21st Escort Squadron and as a Staff member of the "Delta" Group, a task group in charge of monitoring the maritime borders of the Basque Country to prevent weapons smuggling and against the clandestine trafficking of terrorist related operations. He also served at the

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (also known as USNAVSO) is the naval element of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Its areas of operation include South America, Central America, the Caribbean and surrounding waters. Its headquarters ...

on 1997, and the

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force. SNMG2 consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational r ...

, and as the Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Deputy Chief of the General Staff at the Operations Command. He also served as the President of the Spanish Section of the Hispano-North American Standing Committee, and also served at the Headquarters of the Strategic Plans Section of the Plans Division of the Navy General Staff and Operations of the Naval Operational Command Staff. From 1987 to 1996 he served as an elective member of the Electronic Warfare Doctrine Board of the Navy. He also served a technical adviser to the

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

and head of the Navy General Staff's strategic planning section. López Calderón also served as the Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Deputy Chief of the General Staff at the Operations Command on the Defence Staff.El cartagenero Teodoro López, nuevo almirante jefe de Estado Mayor de la Armada
. ''Laverdad''. Published 31 March 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017. He was appointed by the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

as the replacement of Admiral General Jaime Muńoz-Delgado on 31 March 2017 as the new Chief of Staff of the Navy. In January 2021, after the resignation of JEMAD Miguel Ángel Villarroya, he was appointed as the 12th Chief of Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces.

Awards and decorations

; *

ESP Gran Cruz Merito Naval (Distintivo Blanco) pasador

Grand Cross of Naval Merit * ESP Gran Cruz Orden Merito Guardia Civil pasador

Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard * ESP Orden de San Hermenegildo Gran Cruz pasador

Grand Cross of the

Royal and Military Order of San Hermenegildo The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild ( es, Real y Militar Orden de San Hermenegildo) is both a general military honor and a legion created by Ferdinand VII of Spain on 28 November 1814. The Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermene ...

ESP Orden de San Hermenegildo Placa pasador

Commander with Star of the

ESP Orden de San Hermenegildo Encomienda pasador

Commander of the

ESP Orden de San Hermenegildo Cruz pasador

Cross of the

ESP Cruz Merito Militar (Distintivo Blanco) pasador

Cross of Military Merit The Cross of Military Merit ( es, Cruces del Mérito Militar) is Spain's military awards for gallantry or merit in war or peace. Awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians. History and attribution Established ...

ESP Cruz Merito Naval (Distintivo Blanco) pasador

Cross of Naval Merit The Cross of Naval Merit ( es, Cruces del Mérito Naval) is a Spanish military award for gallantry or merit in war or peace. Awarded to members of the Spanish Naval Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians. History and Attribution Established on 3 ...

ESP Cruz Orden Merito Guardia Civil (Plata) pasador

Cross of the Order Guard Merit of the Civil Guard * ESP Cruz Orden Merito Policial (Distintivo Blanco) pasador

Cross of the Order Police Merit ; * AUS Order of Australia (military) BAR

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

– 3 May 2022 – For distinguished service in strengthening the defence relationship between Australia and Spain through personal commitment, engagement and support to Australia. ; * Ordre national du Merite Chevalier ribbon

Ordre national du Merite Chevalier ribbon

Chevalier of the Order of National Merit of the French Republic ; *

NATO Meritorious Service Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. ...

Article 5 Medal for Operation Active Endeavor ; * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: *Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Med ...

Personal life

He is married with five children and also has two grandchildren. He can speak fluent

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

along with his native