Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces

The Chief of the Defence Staff (French: Chef d'État-Major des Armées, CEMA; lit. 'Chief of Staff of the Armies') is the military head of the Armed Forces of the French Republic, overseeing all military operations (under reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence). They are responsible to the Minister of the Armed Forces and their deputy is the Major General of the Defence Staff. Since the 1950s, the office has been held only by four-star generals (OF–9), either from the Army, the Navy, or the Air and Space Force. The current Chief is General Fabien Mandon, who took the position on 1 September 2025.