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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

Macron names top military aide and ex-fighter pilot as new armed forces chief

French President Emmanuel Macron flanked by French Presidency General Secretary Emmanuel Moulin (left) and France's General Fabien Mandon (right), Paris, France, June 22, 2025. © REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool

President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his closest military advisor, an experienced fighter pilot, as the new chief of staff of France's armed forces, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Wednesday.

Fabien Mandon, a 55-year-old air force general and former Mirage fighter jet pilot, takes over from Thierry Burkhard.

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