Rear Admiral David Desfougères, head of the 4,450 sailors of the sky

It was at the Hyères naval air base, during a ceremony presided over by Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the Marine nationale (CEMM), that Rear Admiral (CA) David Desfougères succeeded Vice Admiral (VAE) Serge Bordarier. Since taking office in 2022, VAE Serge Bordarier has worked to base naval aviation on three fundamental pillars of operational performance: support, training, and state of mind. For all his men, he leaves behind a force whose primary needs are consolidated, while allowing units to train and secure their future.

4,450 SAILORS OF THE SKY

Thus, CA David Desfougères has taken command of one of the four forces of the Marine nationale, made up of 4,450 sailors of the sky, operating nearly 200 aircraft over the seas, contributing to the continuous fulfillment of the three main missions of the Marine nationale: deterrence, intervention, and protection. A graduate of the class of 1994 of the École navale, a qualified fighter pilot since 2000, he has logged nearly 3,000 flight hours in 10 different aircraft and participated in operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and Iraq. In September 1997, he began his pilot training course and went through Salon de Provence and then Méridian in the USA where he was awarded his fighter pilot wings. Returning to France, after a short assignment on Alpha Jet in the Armée de l'air, he was assigned to Flottille 17F on Super-Etendard Modernisé. After a brief period at the doctrine office of the ALAVIA Staff as a fighter specialist, he returned to Landivisiau in 2008, holding the position of CSD in Flottille 11F, then took command of it in 2010. In 2011, he commanded the 17F and participated in the "Harmattan" mission. After this period of command, he joined the 20th class of the École de Guerre at the military school, then joined the ALAVIA Staff in 2013 as head of the aviation risk management office.

CHARLES DE GAULLE

Affecté sur le porte-avions « Charles de Gaulle » à l’été 2015, il a occupé la fonction de commandant adjoint opérations. Lors de cette affectation, il a participé aux missions « ARROMANCHES II et III » et œuvré à la préparation de l’arrêt technique majeur n°2, en particulier pour son volet rénovation du système de combat du bâtiment. En 2017, il commandait la frégate ACONIT et a participé à des missions en Syrie et en Libye. D’août 2019 à juin 2020, il était auditeur de la 69ème session du Centre des hautes études militaires et de la 72ème session de l’Institut des hautes études de défense nationale. Après une année en tant que chef du collège des officiers correspondant d’État-major au sein de la division capacitaire d’État-major de la Marine, il a pris le poste d’officier de cohérence des armées – Marine (OCA - Marine) de l’été 2021 à l’été 2023 et a participé, activement, à la construction de la LPM 2024-2030 à cette occasion. Il a été nommé sous-chef « plans et programmes » de la Marine le 1er août 2023. •