| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
| Chef d'état-major des armées (French) | |
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| Ministry of the Armed Forces | |
| Type | |
| Abbreviation | C.E.M.A. |
| Member of | Chiefs of Staff Committee |
| Reports to | Minister of the Armed Forces |
| Seat | Hexagone Balard, Paris |
| Appointer | President of the Republic requires the Prime Minister's countersignature |
| Constituting instrument | |
| Formation | 28 April 1948[2] |
| First holder | Charles Léchères |
| Deputy | Major General of the Defence Staff |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of the Defence Staff (French: Chef d'État-Major des Armées [CEMA]; lit. 'Chief of Staff of the Armies') is the military head of the Armed Forces of the French Republic, overseeing all military operations (under reserve of the particular dispositions relative to nuclear deterrence). They are responsible to the Minister of the Armed Forces and their deputy is the Major General of the Defence Staff. Since the 1950s, the office has been held only by four-star generals (OF–9), either from the Army, the Navy, or the Air and Space Force. The current Chief is General Thierry Burkhard, who took the position on 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Marques, honneurs, saluts et visites dans les forces navales et à bord des bâtiments de la marine militaire". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). 10 August 1939. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ Government of the French Republic (28 April 1948). "Décret du 28 avril 1948 portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 20 August 2019.