Vice-admiral Christophe Lucas, préfet maritime pour la Méditerranée

This ceremony, co-presided over by admiral Nicolas Vaujour, chef d'Etat-major de la Marine, and Didier Lallement, Secrétaire général de la mer, marked the arrival of VAE Christophe Lucas, who succeeds him in his duties. The latter emphasized that he was following in the continuity of his predecessor, whose work he warmly praised. This ceremony took place in the presence of numerous civil and military authorities, including the préfet of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, the préfet of Var, the mayor of Toulon, and the officier général of the zone de défense et de sécurité Sud. VAE Lucas already knows the Méditerranée zone and its strategic challenges well, having served part of his career there in the surface forces and naval aviation. As part of his former duties as deputy director general of international relations and strategy at the ministère des Armées, he was notably able to visit a large number of partner countries in the region. On June 26, 2024, he was appointed during the Conseil des ministres as 'commandant de la zone maritime Méditerranée, commandant de l'arrondissement maritime Méditerranée et préfet maritime de la Méditerranée' effective September 1, 2024. VAE Lucas is an officer of the Légion d'honneur, commander of the ordre national du Mérite, recipient of the croix de la valeur militaire with a silver star, and the médaille de l'aéronautique. He has 3,000 flight hours to his credit. He is married and the father of four children.