Major General of the Defence Staff (France)

The Major General of the Defence Staff (French: Major Général des Armées, lit. 'Major General of the Armies', acronym: M.G.A.) is a high ranking general officer of the French Armed Forces and the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As such, it is the second highest position in the armed forces. Major Generals are nominated by the Minister of the Armed Forces and appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the French Republic. The designation of Major General is not indicative of any rank but is rather a position, as the most recent office holders were all five stars generals (OF-9).

Major General of the Defence Staff
Major général des armées
Insignia of the Armed Forces Staff
Incumbent
Admiral Jean Casabianca

since 1 September 2018
Ministry of the Armed Forces
TypePart of a military staff
AbbreviationM.G.A.
Member ofChiefs of Staff Committee
Reports toChief of the Defence Staff
SeatHexagone Balard, Paris
AppointerPresident of the Republic
Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
Term lengthNo fixed term
Formation28 April 1948
First holderHenri Zeller
Websitewww.defense.gouv.fr

History

The office was established on 28 April 1948, during the reorganization of the French higher hierarchy.[1]

Duties

The major general leads the Defence Staff and is assisted by three general officers: the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (OPS), the Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning (PLANS) and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance (PERF).

They replace the chief of staff when necessary. As a flag officer, they are the commanding officer of the Site of Balard, headquarters of the French Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Office holders

No. Portrait Rank & Name Term Branch Minister Commander-in-Chief Ref.[lower-alpha 1]
Took office Left office Duration
Office established
1 Division general
Henri Zeller
29 April 1948 8 July 1949 1 year, 70 days
Army
Pierre-Henri Teitgen
René Mayer
Paul Ramadier
Vincent Auriol [2]
-
2 Air brigade general
Raoul Vernoux
8 July 1949 11 May 1954 4 years, 307 days
Air Force
Paul Ramadier
René Pleven
Jules Moch
Georges Bidault
René Pleven
[3]
-
René Coty
3 Division general
Raymond Baillif
11 May 1954 20 October 1955 1 year, 162 days
Army
René Pleven
Pierre Kœnig
[...]
Pierre Kœnig
Pierre Billotte
[4]
-
4 Air division general
Maurice Challe
20 October 1955 8 October 1958 2 years, 351 days
Air Force
Pierre Billotte
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
[...]
Pierre de Chevigné
Pierre Guillaumat
[5]
-
5 Army general
André Demetz
8 October 1958 28 March 1959 171 days
Army
Pierre Guillaumat
Pierre Messmer
[6]
-
Charles de Gaulle
6 Air corps general
Paul Stehlin
28 March 1959 15 March 1960 353 days
Air Force
Pierre Messmer [7]
-
...
Air corps general
Michel Délaval
1 May 1977 26 August 1979 2 years, 117 days
Air Force
... Valéry Giscard d'Estaing [8]
-
Air corps general
Jean-Paul Arbelet
26 August 1979 1 October 1983 4 years, 36 days
Air Force
... [9]
-
François Mitterrand
Squadron vice-admiral
Jean-André Brusson
1 October 1983 10 March 1985 1 year, 160 days
Navy
... [10]
-
Squadron vice-admiral
Bernard Louzeau
10 March 1985 30 January 1987 1 year, 326 days
Navy
... [11]
-
Squadron vice-admiral
Alain Coatanea
30 January 1987 20 November 1990 3 years, 294 days
Navy
André Giraud
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
[12]
-
Division general
Mary-Jean Voinot
20 November 1990 1 October 1992 1 year, 316 days
Army
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
Pierre Joxe
[13]
-
Air corps general
Jean-Philippe Douin
1 October 1992 15 June 1994 1 year, 257 days
Air Force
Pierre Joxe
François Léotard
[14]
-
Air corps general
Jean Rannou
15 June 1994 1 September 1995 1 year, 78 days
Air Force
François Léotard
Charles Millon
[15]
-
Jacques Chirac
Corps general
Philippe Mercier
1 September 1995 28 August 1996 362 days
Army
Charles Millon [16]
-
Air corps general
Jean-Pierre Kelche
28 August 1996 9 April 1998 1 year, 224 days
Air Force
Charles Millon
Alain Richard
[17]
-
Air corps general
Jean-Pierre Job
9 April 1998 1 September 1999 1 year, 145 days
Air Force
Alain Richard [18]
-
Air corps general
Richard Wolsztynski
1 September 1999 1 September 2002 3 years, 0 days
Air Force
Alain Richard
Michèle Alliot-Marie
[19]
-
Counter admiral
Alain Coldefy
1 September 2002 15 July 2005 2 years, 317 days
Navy
Michèle Alliot-Marie [20]
-
Admiral
Hervé Le Riche
15 July 2005 1 September 2007 2 years, 48 days
Navy
Michèle Alliot-Marie
Hervé Morin
[21]
-
Nicolas Sarkozy
Admiral
Pierrick Blairon
1 September 2007 12 March 2010 2 years, 192 days
Navy
Hervé Morin [22]
-
Army general
Pierre de Villiers
12 March 2010 15 February 2014 3 years, 340 days
Army
Hervé Morin
Alain Juppé
Gérard Longuet
Jean-Yves Le Drian
[23]
-
François Hollande
Air army general
Gratien Maire
15 February 2014 1 September 2016 2 years, 199 days
Air Force
Jean-Yves Le Drian [24]
-
Admiral
Philippe Coindreau
1 September 2016 1 September 2018 2 years, 0 days
Navy
Jean-Yves Le Drian
Sylvie Goulard
Florence Parly
[25]
-
Emmanuel Macron
Admiral
Jean Casabianca
1 September 2018 Incumbent 2 years, 161 days
Navy
Florence Parly [26]
[27]

References

  1. Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Décret portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  2. Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Decree appointing a general officer". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  3. Government of the French Republic (10 July 1949). "Decree appointing a general officer". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. JORF #108 - P4405 - 11 May 1954
  5. JORF #254 - P10608 - 27 October 1955
  6. JORF #236 - P9221 - 8 October 1958
  7. JORF #077 - P3828 - 2 April 1959
  8. Government of the French Republic (7 April 1977). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  9. Government of the French Republic (6 July 1979). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  10. Government of the French Republic (3 October 1983). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. Government of the French Republic (6 February 1985). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  12. Government of the French Republic (23 December 1986). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  13. Government of the French Republic (7 November 1990). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. Government of the French Republic (20 July 1992). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  15. Government of the French Republic (9 May 1994). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  16. Government of the French Republic (3 August 1995). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  17. Government of the French Republic (1 August 1996). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  18. Government of the French Republic (19 March 1998). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  19. Government of the French Republic (8 July 1999). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  20. Government of the French Republic (1 August 2002). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  21. Government of the French Republic (4 July 2005). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  22. Government of the French Republic (2 August 2007). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  23. Government of the French Republic (11 March 2010). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  24. Government of the French Republic (16 January 2014). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  25. Government of the French Republic (7 July 2016). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  26. Government of the French Republic (11 July 2018). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  27. Xavier Vavasseur (17 September 2019). "U.S. Navy Europe's Top Admiral Highlights French-American Alliance". Naval News. Retrieved 1 March 2020.

Notes

  1. Upper references are the official decree of nomination in French. Lower references are press articles in English.
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