Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force

The Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff (French: Chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'air et de l'espace,^[a] CEMAAE)^[2] is the military head of the French Air and Space Force.^[3] The chief directs the air and space force staff and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on subjects concerning the Air and Space Force.^[4] As such, they ensure the operational preparedness of their service branch, express their need for military and civilian personnel, and are responsible for maintaining the discipline, morale and conduct of their troops.^[5] Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.^[6]

Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff
Chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'air et de l'espace
Honor flag[1]
Incumbent General Jérôme Bellanger [fr] since 15 September 2024
Ministry of the Armed Forces
Type	Chief of Staff
Abbreviation	CEMAAE
Member of	Chiefs of Staff Committee
Reports to	Chief of the Defense Staff
Seat	Hexagone Balard, Paris
Appointer	President of the Republic Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
Precursor	Director of Military Aeronautics
Formation	28 December 1928 (1928-12-28)
First holder	Henry Michaud
Deputy	Major General of the Air and Space Force
Website	defense.gouv.fr/air

The chief does not have a fixed term, nor an attached rank. In practice, however, a term has never exceeded five years and all chiefs since the late 1940s have been five–stars generals (OF–09). They are assisted in their duties by the Major General of the Air and Space Force who will deputise if needed.^[7]

The current chief, General Jérôme Bellanger, has been serving since 15 September 2024.

History

Interwar

The office was officially created in December 1928 in the 1929 Law of Finances.^[8] It proposed the creation of a high command for the Military Aeronautics, still under the authority of the Army, which would succeed the function of the Direction of Military Aeronautics. The French Air Force became independent in 1934, and the Chief obtained full authority.

World War II

After the armistice, Germany imposed severe restrictions on the size of the French Air Force. As a result, the scope of authority of the Chief was limited, and the office was ultimately eliminated alongside the Air Force.

Postwar

Free France and the subsequent governments of the re-established French Republic recreated the office at the end of the war.

Office holders

Third Republic

No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Minister of Air	Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
Office established
1		Division general Henry Michaud	1 June 1930	5 January 1931	218 days	Laurent Eynac Paul Painlevé	Gaston Doumergue	[9] -
2		Division general Joseph Barès	5 January 1931	28 August 1931	235 days	Paul Painlevé Jacques-Louis Dumesnil		[10] -
							Paul Doumer
3		Division general Lucien Hergault	28 August 1931	16 January 1933	1 year, 141 days	Jacques-Louis Dumesnil Paul Painlevé		[11] -
							Albert Lebrun
4		Division general Joseph Barès	16 January 1933	2 April 1933	76 days	Paul Painlevé Pierre Cot		[12] -
5		Air division general[b] Victor Denain	2 April 1933	16 February 1934	320 days	Pierre Cot		[13] -
6		Air division general Joseph Barès	16 February 1934	3 September 1934	199 days	Victor Denain		[14] -
7		Air division general Louis Picard	3 September 1934	27 December 1935	1 year, 115 days	Victor Denain		[15] [16]
8		Air division general Bernard Pujo	27 December 1935	15 October 1936	293 days	Victor Denain Marcel Déat		[17] -
9		Air division general Philippe Féquant	15 October 1936	2 February 1938	1 year, 130 days	Marcel Déat Pierre Cot Guy La Chambre		[18] -
10		Air division general Joseph Vuillemin	22 February 1938	...	...	Guy La Chambre		[19] [20]
11		Air army general Louis Picard	...	10 September 1940	...	Laurent Eynac Bertrand Pujo Jean Bergeret		- -
							Philippe Pétain

French State

No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Minister of Air	Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
12		Air corps general Robert Odic	10 September 1940	23 September 1940	13 days	Jean Bergeret	Philippe Pétain	[21] [22]
13		Air brigade general Jean Romatet	23 September 1940	21 December 1942	2 years, 89 days	Jean Bergeret Jean-François Jannekeyn		[23] -
Office disestablished

Provisional Government

No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Minister of Air	Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
Office reestablished
14		Air army general Martial Valin	3 November 1944	1 March 1946	1 year, 118 days	Charles Tillon Vacant	Charles de Gaulle	- -
							Félix Gouin
15		Air army general René Bouscat	1 March 1946	7 September 1946	190 days	Vacant		[24] -
							Georges Bidault
16		Air division general Paul Gérardot	7 September 1946	15 February 1947	161 days	Vacant		[25] -
							Vincent Auriol

Fourth Republic

No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Minister of the Armed Forces	Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
17		Air division general Jean Piollet	15 February 1947	1 February 1948	351 days	Vacant André Maroselli Pierre-Henri Teitgen	Vincent Auriol	[26] -
18		Air army general Charles Léchères	1 February 1948	22 August 1953	5 years, 202 days	Pierre-Henri Teitgen René Mayer [...] Georges Bidault René Pleven		[27] [28]
19		Air army general Pierre Fay	22 August 1953	22 March 1955	1 year, 212 days	René Pleven Marie-Pierre Kœnig Emmanuel Temple Jacques Chevalier Marie-Pierre Kœnig		[29] -
							René Coty
20		Air army general Paul Bailly	22 March 1955	18 March 1958	2 years, 361 days	Marie-Pierre Kœnig Pierre Billotte Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury André Morice Jacques Chaban-Delmas		[30] [31]
21		Air army general Max Gelée	18 March 1958	2 October 1958	198 days	Jacques Chaban-Delmas Pierre de Chevigné Charles de Gaulle		[32] -

Fifth Republic

No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Minister of the Armed Forces	Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
22		Air army general Edmond Jouhaud	2 October 1958	15 March 1960	1 year, 165 days	Charles de Gaulle Pierre Guillaumat	René Coty Charles de Gaulle	[33] [34]
23		Air army general Paul Stehlin	15 March 1960	1 October 1963	3 years, 200 days	Pierre Guillaumat Pierre Messmer	Charles de Gaulle	[35] [36]
24		Air army general André Martin	1 October 1963	27 February 1967	3 years, 149 days	Pierre Messmer	Charles de Gaulle	- -
25		Air army general Philippe Maurin	27 February 1967	13 December 1969	2 years, 289 days	Pierre Messmer Michel Debré	Charles de Gaulle Georges Pompidou	[37] -
26		Air army general Gabriel Gauthier	13 December 1969	12 December 1972	2 years, 365 days	Michel Debré	Georges Pompidou	- -
27		Air army general Claude Grigaut	12 December 1972	24 June 1976	3 years, 195 days	Michel Debré Robert Galley Jacques Soufflet Yvon Bourges	Georges Pompidou Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	[38] -
28		Air army general Maurice Saint-Cricq	24 June 1976	16 July 1979	3 years, 22 days	Yvon Bourges	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	[39] -
29		Air army general Guy Fleury	16 July 1979	11 June 1982	2 years, 330 days	Yvon Bourges Joël Le Theule Robert Galley Charles Hernu	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing François Mitterrand	[40] -
30		Air army general Bernard Capillon	11 June 1982	16 October 1986	4 years, 127 days	Charles Hernu Paul Quilès André Giraud	François Mitterrand	[41] -
31		Air army general Achille Lerche	16 October 1986	25 April 1989	2 years, 191 days	André Giraud Jean-Pierre Chevènement	François Mitterrand	[42] -
32		Air army general Jean Fleury	25 April 1989	2 December 1991	2 years, 220 days	Jean-Pierre Chevènement Pierre Joxe	François Mitterrand	[43] -
33		Air army general Vincent Lanata	2 December 1991	1 July 1994	2 years, 211 days	Pierre Joxe François Léotard	François Mitterrand	[44] -
34		Air army general Jean-Philippe Douin	1 July 1994	1 September 1995	1 year, 62 days	François Léotard Charles Millon	François Mitterrand Jacques Chirac	[45] -
35		Air army general Jean Rannou	1 September 1995	2 July 2000	4 years, 305 days	Charles Millon Alain Richard	Jacques Chirac	[46] -
36		Air army general Jean-Pierre Job	2 July 2000	1 September 2002	2 years, 61 days	Alain Richard Michèle Alliot-Marie	Jacques Chirac	[47] -
37		Air army general Richard Wolsztynski	1 September 2002	16 July 2006	3 years, 318 days	Michèle Alliot-Marie	Jacques Chirac	[48] -
38		Air army general Stéphane Abrial	16 July 2006	25 August 2009	3 years, 40 days	Michèle Alliot-Marie Hervé Morin	Jacques Chirac Nicolas Sarkozy	[49] -
39		Air army general Jean-Paul Paloméros	25 August 2009	17 September 2012	3 years, 23 days	Hervé Morin Alain Juppé Gérard Longuet Jean-Yves Le Drian	Nicolas Sarkozy François Hollande	[50] [51]
40		Air army general Denis Mercier	17 September 2012	21 September 2015	3 years, 4 days	Jean-Yves Le Drian	François Hollande	[52] [53]
41		Air army general André Lanata	21 September 2015	31 August 2018	2 years, 344 days	Jean-Yves Le Drian Sylvie Goulard Florence Parly	François Hollande Emmanuel Macron	[54] [55]
42		Air army general Philippe Lavigne	31 August 2018	9 September 2021	3 years, 9 days	Florence Parly	Emmanuel Macron	[56] [57]
43		Air army general Stéphane Mille	10 September 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 92 days	Florence Parly Sébastien Lecornu	Emmanuel Macron	[58]

Free France

From its creation in 1940 to the final integration of its air force to the regular French Air Force, Free France had its own staff, based in London. The Free French Aerial Forces were headed by a Commander, responsible to the Commander-in-Chief of the Free French Forces, and was assisted by a Chief of the General Staff.

Commanders of the Free French Aerial Forces

List of Commanders of the Free French Aerial Forces
No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Commissioner	Leader	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Vice admiral Emile Muselier	1 July 1940	10 July 1941	1 year, 9 days	Vacant	Charles de Gaulle	[59] -
2		Air brigade general Martial Valin	10 July 1941	2 July 1943	1 year, 357 days	Vacant		[60] -
3		Air corps general René Bouscat	2 July 1943	3 November 1944	1 year, 124 days	Martial Valin André Le Troquer Fernand Grenier		[61] -

Chiefs of the General Staff

List of Chiefs of the General Staff
No.	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Commissioner	Leader	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Capitaine Eugène-Marcel Chevrier	1 July 1940	25 December 1940	177 days	Vacant	Charles de Gaulle	- -
2		Lieutenant-colonel Charles Pijeaud	13 January 1941	31 March 1941	77 days	Vacant		- -
3		Général de brigade aérienne Martial Henri Valin	31 March 1941	10 July 1941	101 days	Vacant		- -
4		Lieutenant-colonel Charles Pijeaud	10 July 1941	1 December 1941	144 days	Vacant Martial Henri Valin		- -
5		Colonel Charles Luguet	1 December 1941	13 April 1942	133 days	Martial Henri Valin		- -
6		Colonel Pierre Coustey	13 April 1942	13 April 1943	1 year, 0 days	Martial Henri Valin		- -
7		Colonel Georges Andrieu	13 April 1943	3 November 1944	1 year, 204 days	Martial Henri Valin André Le Troquer Fernand Grenier		- -

See also

• Chief of the Defence Staff
  • Chief of Staff of the French Army
  • Chief of Staff of the French Navy
  • Special Operations Command
  • Directorate General of the National Gendarmerie
• Strategic Air Forces Command

References

1. Government of the French Republic (10 August 1939). "Marks, honors, salutes and visits in the naval forces and on board naval vessels". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2020.
2. French Air and Space Force. "The Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff" (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2020.
3. Defence Code – Article R3224–4 § 3
4. Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 1
5. Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 2
6. Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 3
7. Defence Code – Article R3224–4 § 2
8. Government of the French Republic (28 December 1928). "Low of Finances for 1929 – Article 116". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 28 October 2019.
9. "Decree of 5 October 1930". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1930–236): 11443. 7 October 1930. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
10. "Decree of 4 January 1931". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1931–004): 144. 6 January 1931. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
11. "Decree of 27 August 1931". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1931–200): 9474. 28 August 1931. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
12. "Decree of 14 January 1933". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1933–013): 464. 15 January 1933. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
13. "Decree of 1 April 1933". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1933–079): 3430. 2 April 1933. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
14. "Decree of 15 February 1934". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1934–041): 1601. 17 February 1934. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
15. "Decree of 31 August 1934". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1934–205): 9067. 1 September 1934. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
16. "GENERAL PICARD; Chief of 'the French Air Force General Staff Until 1940". The New York Times. 14 August 1943. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
17. "Decree of 26 December 1935". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1935–302): 13663. 27 December 1935. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
18. "Decree of 16 September 1936". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1936–219): 9904. 18 September 1936. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
19. "Decree of 22 February 1938". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1938–045): 2247. 23 February 1938. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
20. "French Air Staff Chief Will Make Visit to Reich". The New York Times. 22 July 1938. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
21. "Decree of 4 September 1940". Journal Officiel de l'État français (in French) (1940–223): 4904. 5 September 1940. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
22. "General Odic Joins Free French". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 1941. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
23. "Decree of 23 September 1940". Journal Officiel de l'État français (in French) (1940–243): 5157. 25 September 1940. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
24. "Decree of 28 February 1946". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1946–052): 1823. 2 March 1946. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
25. "Decree of 2 September 1946". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1946–207): 7707. 5 September 1946. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
26. "Decree of 15 February 1947". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1947–046): 1690. 22 February 1947. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
27. "Decree of 28 January 1948". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1948–026): 946. 29 January 1948. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
28. "Foes of Laos in Regrouping". The Baltimore Sun. 3 May 1953. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
29. "Decree of 3 August 1953". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1953–181): 6837. 4 August 1953. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
30. "Decree of 19 March 1955". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1955–071): 2914. 23 March 1955. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
31. "French Air Force Staff Chief Resigns". St. Petersburg Independent. 14 March 1958. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
32. "Decree of 17 March 1958". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1958–066): 2692. 19 March 1958. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
33. "Decree of 1 October 1958". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1958–234): 9174. 5 October 1958. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
34. "O.A.S. Leader Denies Part in Hold-up". The Age. 13 April 1962. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
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37. "Decree of 21 February 1967". Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French) (1967–046): 1918. 23 February 1967. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
38. Government of the French Republic (6 December 1972). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
39. Government of the French Republic (31 May 1976). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
40. Government of the French Republic (11 June 1979). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
41. Government of the French Republic (24 March 1982). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
42. Government of the French Republic (8 September 1986). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
43. Government of the French Republic (3 April 1989). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
44. Government of the French Republic (9 October 1991). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
45. Government of the French Republic (9 May 1994). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
46. Government of the French Republic (3 August 1995). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
47. Government of the French Republic (25 May 2000). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
48. Government of the French Republic (18 July 2002). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
49. Government of the French Republic (1 June 2006). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
50. Government of the French Republic (20 July 2009). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
51. Stacy Meichtry & Marion Halftermeyer (5 June 2014). "Last of Surviving D-Day Veterans Battle Time to Bear Witness". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
52. Government of the French Republic (2 August 2012). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
53. "Greek fighter jet crash 'due to takeoff fault'". BBC. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
54. Government of the French Republic (4 June 2015). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
55. "NATO welcomes new Supreme Allied Commander Transformation". NATO. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
56. Government of the French Republic (18 August 2018). "Décret portant affectation d'un officier général". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 February 2020.
57. Brian Everstine (2 July 2019). "French Air Force Begins Research into Sixth Generation Aircraft". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
58. Bastien Carris (15 September 2021). "New Chief of the Air Staff takes up his duties". Retrieved 1 December 2021.
59. National Order of Liberation. "Émile Muselier". Retrieved 29 October 2019.
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Notes

1. French pronunciation: [ʃɛf deta maʒɔʁ də laʁme də lɛʁ e də lɛspas], lit. 'Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Army'
2. Division general at the time of his appointment, became Air division general with the independence of the Air Force from the Army.