The General of the Fabien Air Force was appointed to take Thierry Burkhard to the position of the Chief of the Staff of the Army, said Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
The Minister of the Armed Forces expressed in X “full confidence in the capacity (by the note of the editor of Fabien Mandon) to continue, with rigor and determination, the transformation of our forces into an increasingly demanding security context.”
The former Mirage pilot (F1 later 2000d), with the indicative radio “Madon”, Fabien Mandon, 55, is the first aviator that accesses the function from General Jean-Philippe Douin, 30 years ago.
“A soul of struggle”
Born on October 19, 1969 in Montmorency (Val-D’Oise), Fabien Mandon received his fighter pilot patent in 1994. Assigned in several squadrons, where he operated in particular as a commander, joined the Office of the Air Force Personnel in 2008.
Fabien Mandon was deployed abroad for more than one hundred war missions, especially in the Central African Republic, Chad or Douchanbé, Tadjikistan, from where he carried out missions in Afghanistan.
“In Afghanistan, Maté. And I know who I killed. Talibán. I have a soul of struggle,” he said in a recent interview with L’E ext.
In our colleagues’ columns, he said that “being a chef does not have the hairs that come out of the shirt. It’s alone, thought, delegate, know how to be firm when necessary.”
Near the Elysée Palace
Commander of the Avord Air Base from 2012 to 2014, then was appointed in 2020 as head of the military cabinet of the Minister of the Armed Forces.
He also went through the General Directorate of International Relations and the Strategy (DGRIS), responsible for feeding the strategic reflection of the armies, made a first visit as assistant to the private personnel of the President (CEMP), before going to the office of the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly, then Sébastien Lecornu.
On May 1, 2023, he became CEMP, the closest military advisor of the Head of State, with Emmanuel Macron, replacing Jean-Philippe Rolland. At the same time, he took the range of General Air Force.
“A characteristic thing is that it is always in the same humor, incredible zenitude, always smiling lips. He has a mad resilience,” said one of his comrades, Mirage 2000d pilot, to the AFP.
During his career, Fabien Mandon has been decorated several times, especially for the National Order of the Legion of Honor, of the National Order of Merit, and received the Cross of the Combatter.
Source: BFM TV
