# 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, CEMAAE) is the military head of the French Air and Space Force. 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. 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. Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.
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.
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. 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 | Term | Term | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| Office established |||||||||
| 1 | | Division general Henry Michaud | 1 June 1930 | 5 January 1931 | 218 days | Laurent Eynac Paul Painlevé | Gaston Doumergue | - |
| 2 | | Division general Joseph Barès | 5 January 1931 | 28 August 1931 | 235 days | Paul Painlevé Jacques-Louis Dumesnil | Gaston Doumergue | - |
| 2 | | Division general Joseph Barès | 5 January 1931 | 28 August 1931 | 235 days | Paul Painlevé Jacques-Louis Dumesnil | Paul Doumer | - |
| 3 | | Division general Lucien Hergault | 28 August 1931 | 16 January 1933 | 1 year, 141 days | Jacques-Louis Dumesnil Paul Painlevé | Paul Doumer | - |
| 3 | | Division general Lucien Hergault | 28 August 1931 | 16 January 1933 | 1 year, 141 days | Jacques-Louis Dumesnil Paul Painlevé | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 4 | | Division general Joseph Barès | 16 January 1933 | 2 April 1933 | 76 days | Paul Painlevé Pierre Cot | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 5 | | Air division general Victor Denain | 2 April 1933 | 16 February 1934 | 320 days | Pierre Cot | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 6 | | Air division general Joseph Barès | 16 February 1934 | 3 September 1934 | 199 days | Victor Denain | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 7 | | Air division general Louis Picard | 3 September 1934 | 27 December 1935 | 1 year, 115 days | Victor Denain | Albert Lebrun | [15] [16] |
| 8 | | Air division general Bernard Pujo | 27 December 1935 | 15 October 1936 | 293 days | Victor Denain Marcel Déat | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 9 | | Air division general Philippe Féquant | 15 October 1936 | 2 February 1938 | 1 year, 130 days | Marcel Déat Pierre Cot Guy La Chambre | Albert Lebrun | - |
| 10 | | Air division general Joseph Vuillemin | 22 February 1938 | ... | ... | Guy La Chambre | Albert Lebrun | [19] [20] |
| 11 | | Air army general Louis Picard | ... | 10 September 1940 | ... | Laurent Eynac Bertrand Pujo Jean Bergeret | Albert Lebrun | - - |
| 11 | | Air army general Louis Picard | ... | 10 September 1940 | ... | Laurent Eynac Bertrand Pujo Jean Bergeret | Philippe Pétain | - - |

### French State

| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Term | Term | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| 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 | Philippe Pétain | - |
| Office disestablished |||||||||

### Provisional Government

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

### Fourth Republic

| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Term | Term | Minister of the Armed Forces | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Minister of the Armed Forces | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| 17 | | Air division general Jean Piollet | 15 February 1947 | 1 February 1948 | 351 days | Vacant André Maroselli Pierre-Henri Teitgen | Vincent Auriol | - |
| 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 | Vincent Auriol | [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 | Vincent Auriol | - |
| 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 | 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 | René Coty | [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 | René Coty | - |

### Fifth Republic

| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Term | Term | Minister of the Armed Forces | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Minister of the Armed Forces | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
| 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 | - |
| 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 | - |
| 28 | | Air army general Maurice Saint-Cricq | 24 June 1976 | 16 July 1979 | 3 years, 22 days | Yvon Bourges | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | - |
| 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 | - |
| 30 | | Air army general Bernard Capillon | 11 June 1982 | 16 October 1986 | 4 years, 127 days | Charles Hernu Paul Quilès André Giraud | François Mitterrand | - |
| 31 | | Air army general Achille Lerche | 16 October 1986 | 25 April 1989 | 2 years, 191 days | André Giraud Jean-Pierre Chevènement | François Mitterrand | - |
| 32 | | Air army general Jean Fleury | 25 April 1989 | 2 December 1991 | 2 years, 220 days | Jean-Pierre Chevènement Pierre Joxe | François Mitterrand | - |
| 33 | | Air army general Vincent Lanata | 2 December 1991 | 1 July 1994 | 2 years, 211 days | Pierre Joxe François Léotard | François Mitterrand | - |
| 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 | - |
| 35 | | Air army general Jean Rannou | 1 September 1995 | 2 July 2000 | 4 years, 305 days | Charles Millon Alain Richard | Jacques Chirac | - |
| 36 | | Air army general Jean-Pierre Job | 2 July 2000 | 1 September 2002 | 2 years, 61 days | Alain Richard Michèle Alliot-Marie | Jacques Chirac | - |
| 37 | | Air army general Richard Wolsztynski | 1 September 2002 | 16 July 2006 | 3 years, 318 days | Michèle Alliot-Marie | Jacques Chirac | - |
| 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 | - |
| 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, 156 days | Florence Parly Sébastien Lecornu | Emmanuel Macron | |

## 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 | Term | Term | Commissioner | Leader | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Rank & Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Commissioner | Leader | Ref. |
| 1 | | Vice admiral Emile Muselier | 1 July 1940 | 10 July 1941 | 1 year, 9 days | Vacant | Charles de Gaulle | - |
| 2 | | Air brigade general Martial Valin | 10 July 1941 | 2 July 1943 | 1 year, 357 days | Vacant | Charles de Gaulle | - |
| 3 | | Air corps general René Bouscat | 2 July 1943 | 3 November 1944 | 1 year, 124 days | Martial Valin André Le Troquer Fernand Grenier | Charles de Gaulle | - |

#### Chiefs of the General Staff

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