Le capitaine de vaisseau Maignan at the head of the frégate Provence
François Maignan took command of the frégate Provence, succeeding capitaine de vaisseau Pascal Forissier after three years.
On June 17, vice-amiral d’escadre Christophe Cluzel, commanding the Force d’action navale, formally recognized capitaine de vaisseau (CV) François Maignan as commander of the frégate multi-missions (FREMM) Provence, for crew A.
He succeeds capitaine de vaisseau (CV) Pascal Forissier, who leaves his duties after three years at the head of the vessel.
Review of an intense command
The command of capitaine de vaisseau Pascal Forissier was marked by a sustained operational pace. In three years, he led his crew through five major missions, totaling 310 days of deployment and more than 50 days of intensive training.
The frigate was deployed three times in the Eastern Mediterranean, a strategic area where she was engaged during the crisis known as the "war of the 12 days" between Iran and Israël.
The FREMM Provence played an active role in the European mission ASPIDES in the Red Sea, escorting merchant vessels and ensuring freedom of navigation. More recently, a mission led her to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
According to the Marine nationale, these deployments made it possible to develop significant technical and tactical innovations, strengthening the operational capabilities of the crew. These missions are in addition to a dense training program, particularly in the field of anti-submarine warfare, one of the specialties of the FREMM, as well as outreach actions designed to consolidate the bond between the army and the Nation.
An expert at the helm
François Maignan is an officer with a rich background, oriented towards naval aeronautics. After participating in the Jeanne d’Arc mission in 2002-2003, he chose to become a helicopter pilot, obtaining his license in 2005.
Assigned to the flottille 34F in 2006, he became an operational pilot on Lynx and participated in the AGAPANTHE missions in 2007 and GRAND NORD in 2008 aboard the frégate Tourville. His career then saw him take on increasing responsibilities, such as detachment leader on anti-submarine frigates on the Atlantic coast, then assistant aviation commander on the porte-hélicoptères amphibie Tonnerre in 2011.
In 2012, he qualified on the Caïman Marine helicopter within the flottille 31F. He held the positions of deputy commander of operations, head of training, and second-in-command there, before taking command in 2018 upon graduating from the École de Guerre. During this period, he led the first operational missions of the Caïman from air defense frigates and the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle as part of the CHAMMAL mission in the Levant.
Notably, he knows the FREMM Provence well, having been assigned there as second-in-command in 2020. After commanding the frégate de surveillance Prairial starting in July 2022, he headed the Human Resources division of the Staff of the naval aviation force since the summer of 2023.
Capitaine de vaisseau François Maignan is a knight of the Légion d’Honneur and an officer of the Ordre National du Mérite.
Photo Marine nationale.