Patrick Chaumeil at the helm of the frigate Aconit

The La Fayette-type (FLF) frigate Aconit, a major combat vessel of the French fleet, has changed commander. The handover ceremony took place on July 16, presided over by Vice-Amiral Pierre de Briançon, Chief of Staff of the Force d’Action Navale.

Capitaine de frégate (CF) Patrick Chaumeil was recognized as the new commander, taking over from capitaine de vaisseau (CV) François Garreau.

An undersea warfare expert takes the helm

Capitaine de frégate Patrick Chaumeil is an experienced officer, from the 2004 class of the École Navale and a graduate of the 27th class of the École de Guerre. Before taking command of the Aconit, he commanded the patrol vessel Pluvier.

A specialist in "undersea warfare", he has had a rich career within submarine forces and surface forces. His career has led him to participate in numerous French and allied naval operations in the Arctic, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean.

He has been engaged in nuclear deterrence, but also in operations Harmattan in Libya and Chammal in Syria, as well as NATO reassurance missions in the Baltic and Mediterranean. CF Chaumeil took part in several carrier strike group deployments in the context of conflicts in Ukraine and the Near and Middle East.

Married and father of four children, capitaine de frégate Patrick Chaumeil is a knight of the Ordre National du Mérite.

18 months marked by operational intensity

Capitaine de vaisseau François Garreau leaves his post after a particularly dense 18-month command, started at the beginning of the year 2025. Under his direction, the Aconit accumulated 270 days of deployment and participated in strategic missions across multiple theaters of operations.

From early 2025, the frigate was deployed for four months, sailing from Crete to Finland, a mission during which it contributed to supporting the French nuclear deterrence posture. This deployment continued in the Baltic Sea as part of the BALTIC SENTRY mission, under NATO command, before ending with the high-intensity exercise POLARIS 25 in the Atlantic.

The second half of 2025 was dedicated to a major maintenance period for the ship, followed by a sea trials phase and a qualification training program designed to validate the crew's skills.

More recently, the Aconit escorted the amphibious helicopter carrier Dixmude as part of the prestigious Jeanne d’Arc mission. It was during this deployment that the frigate distinguished itself by intercepting a vessel carrying 3.4 tons of cocaine off the coast of the Antilles.