Macron to Appoint New Chiefs of Staff for French Army and Navy

President Emmanuel Macron is set to appoint General Jacques Langlade de Montgros as the new chief of staff for the French Army and Admiral Christophe Cluzel as the new chief of staff for the Navy. The Ministry of Armed Forces announced the upcoming changes, which will be officially confirmed during the next cabinet meeting.

General de Montgros, 57, currently heads the Military Intelligence Directorate (DRM) and will succeed General Pierre Schill, who has held the position since 2021. A graduate of the prestigious Saint-Cyr military academy, de Montgros has a distinguished career, including command of the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and the 11th Parachute Brigade. He has also served in various international deployments, including in the Central African Republic, Chad, Bosnia, and Afghanistan.

Admiral Cluzel, the current commander of the Naval Action Force (FAN), will take over from Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, who has been in post since 2023. Cluzel, who entered the Naval Academy in 1991, has commanded the air defense frigate Forbin and led the carrier strike group centered around the Charles-De-Gaulle aircraft carrier in 2022-2023. In his role with the FAN, he was responsible for approximately one hundred surface vessels in the French fleet.

The mission of each army's chief of staff is to train, equip, and advise the French Armed Forces Chief of Staff and political authorities. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, currently Air Force General Fabien Mandon, provides military counsel to political leaders and oversees military operations.