Berlin - The commanding officer of the German armed forces since 2002, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, 61, has had his term extended by another year until mid-2010, the Defence Ministry in Berlin said Wednesday.

A four-star general who began his army career as a tank officer, Schneiderhan holds the title of inspector-general, equivalent to chief of defence staff in other nations and giving him authority over the army, navy and air force.

The extension resolves the defence leadership issue until after Germany's autumn 2009 general election. (dpa)