Overview

• President Macron designated General Fabien Mandon as the next Chief of Defence Staff, a move announced on July 23 by Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
• Mandon, who currently serves as the president’s chief of staff (CEMP), is the first air force officer to head the armed forces since 1995.
• He will replace General Thierry Burkhard, whose four-year tenure focused on bolstering France’s military posture for conventional warfare after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Minister Lecornu expressed full confidence in Mandon’s capacity to pursue force modernization and strategic preparedness in a demanding security context.
• General Mandon is set to formally assume his new role on September 1, marking the next phase of France’s defence transformation plan.