| Post: | Chief |
| Body: | the Air and Space Force Staff |
| Flag: | Marque CEMAA.svg |
| Flagcaption: | Honor flag[1] |
| Incumbent: | General |
| Incumbentsince: | 10 September 2021 |
| Department: | 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 |
| Appointer Qualified: | Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature |
| Precursor: | Director of Military Aeronautics |
| First: | Henry Michaud |
| Deputy: | Major General of the Air and Space Force |
| Website: | defense.gouv.fr/air |
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)[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]
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 Stéphane Mille, has been serving since 10 September 2021.
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.
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.
Free France and the subsequent governments of the re-established French Republic recreated the office at the end of the war.
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | ||||
| 1 | Division general | Laurent Eynac Paul Painlevé | Gaston Doumergue | [9] - | ||||
| 2 | Division general | Paul Painlevé Jacques-Louis Dumesnil | [10] - | |||||
| Paul Doumer | ||||||||
| 3 | Division general | Jacques-Louis Dumesnil Paul Painlevé | [11] - | |||||
| Albert Lebrun | ||||||||
| 4 | Division general | Paul Painlevé Pierre Cot | [12] - | |||||
| 5 | Air division general | Pierre Cot | [13] - | |||||
| 6 | Air division general | Victor Denain | [14] - | |||||
| 7 | Air division general | Victor Denain | [15] [16] | |||||
| 8 | Air division general | Victor Denain Marcel Déat | [17] - | |||||
| 9 | Air division general | Marcel Déat Pierre Cot Guy La Chambre | [18] - | |||||
| 10 | Air division general | ... | Guy La Chambre | [19] [20] | ||||
| 11 | Air army general < | --The decree appointing Odic, the next chief, says that he replaced Picard, not Vuillemin, and Picard Legion of Honour file confirms he was chief as of 1940.--> | ... | Laurent Eynac Bertrand Pujo Jean Bergeret | - - | |||
| Philippe Pétain | ||||||||
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | |||||
| 12 | Air corps general | Jean Bergeret | Philippe Pétain | [21] [22] | |||||
| 13 | Air brigade general | Jean Bergeret Jean-François Jannekeyn | [23] - | ||||||
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Minister of Air | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | ||||
| 14 | Air army general | Charles Tillon Vacant | Charles de Gaulle | - - | ||||
| Félix Gouin | ||||||||
| 15 | Air army general | Vacant | [24] - | |||||
| Georges Bidault | ||||||||
| 16 | Air division general | Vacant | [25] - | |||||
| Vincent Auriol | ||||||||
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Minister of the Armed Forces | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | ||||
| 17 | Air division general | Vacant André Maroselli Pierre-Henri Teitgen | Vincent Auriol | [26] - | ||||
| 18 | Air army general | Pierre-Henri Teitgen René Mayer [...] Georges Bidault René Pleven | [27] [28] | |||||
| 19 | Air army general | René Pleven Marie-Pierre Kœnig Emmanuel Temple Jacques Chevalier Marie-Pierre Kœnig | [29] - | |||||
| René Coty | ||||||||
| 20 | Air army general | Marie-Pierre Kœnig Pierre Billotte Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury André Morice Jacques Chaban-Delmas | [30] [31] | |||||
| 21 | Air army general | Jacques Chaban-Delmas Pierre de Chevigné Charles de Gaulle | [32] - | |||||
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.
| List of Commanders of the Free French Aerial Forces | ||||||||
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Commissioner | Leader | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | ||||
| 1 | Vice admiral | Vacant | Charles de Gaulle | [59] - | ||||
| 2 | Air brigade general | Vacant | [60] - | |||||
| 3 | Air corps general | Martial Valin André Le Troquer Fernand Grenier | [61] - | |||||
| List of Chiefs of the General Staff | ||||||||
| Portrait | Rank & Name | Term | Commissioner | Leader | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office < | -- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. --> | Left office < | -- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. --> | Duration | ||||
| 1 | Vacant | Charles de Gaulle | - - | |||||
| 2 | Vacant | - - | ||||||
| 3 | Vacant | - - | ||||||
| 4 | Vacant Martial Henri Valin | - - | ||||||
| 5 | Martial Henri Valin | - - | ||||||
| 6 | Martial Henri Valin | - - | ||||||
| 7 | Martial Henri Valin André Le Troquer Fernand Grenier | - - | ||||||