Gauthier Guillaumat takes command of the PHA Mistral

The Toulon naval base was the scene, on July 16, of an important change of command within the French fleet.

Vice-admiral Pierre de Briançon, chief of staff of the Force d’Action Navale, formally recognized captain (CV) Gauthier Guillaumat as the new commander of the amphibious helicopter carrier (PHA) Mistral.

He succeeds captain (CV) Quentin Vieux-Rochas, who had been at the helm of the vessel for two years.

An experienced officer at the helm

Captain Gauthier Guillaumat brings a wealth of operational and strategic experience. Born in Paris, he entered the École navale in 2002. His career initially led him aboard the light stealth frigate La Fayette.

From 2007 to 2019, he served within the fusiliers marins units. His career path also saw him take on the roles of instructor at the École d’application des officiers de Marine and member of the human diving and underwater intervention expertise unit, demonstrating great versatility.

A graduate of the École de Guerre, he served for two years in the cabinet of the Chef d’État-major de la Marine (CEMM) as a speechwriter, a key role at the heart of strategic decisions. Before taking command of the Mistral, CV Gauthier Guillaumat commanded, from 2024 to 2026, the surveillance frigate Vendémiaire.

Strategic deployments

The command of CV Quentin Vieux-Rochas was particularly dense, marked by several long-duration operational missions and a major technical maintenance period.

At the end of 2024, the Mistral was deployed for nearly two months off the Lebanese coast, standing ready to evacuate French citizens whose safety was threatened by the local conflict at very short notice.

Then, from late February to mid-July 2025, the vessel conducted the prestigious Jeanne d’Arc mission. This deployment in the Atlantic zone led the crew and officer cadets to make port calls in emblematic ports such as Abidjan, Fortaleza, La Nouvelle-Orléans, New York, Reykjavik, Tromso, and Copenhague.

After a technical stop at the end of 2025, the PHA set sail again for the Atlantic at the beginning of 2026. For two months, it operated in the Norwegian High North to take part in the inter-allied exercises ORION and COLD RESPONSE, thus contributing to maritime security in an area that has become highly strategic.