Philippe Lavigne

Philippe Émile Éloïs Lavigne (French pronunciation: [filip laviɲ]; born 25 September 1969) is a French retired general and fighter pilot. He served as Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force from 31 August 2018 to 10 September 2021 and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from 23 September 2021 to 23 September 2024. He graduated from Prytanée National Militaire in 1985 and joined the School of Air (Salon-de-Provence Air School) in which he qualified as a pilot in 1989. He flew the Mirage 2000 during operations in the former Yugoslavia and in Iraq, where he flew more than 2000 flight hours. He flew more than 50 combat missions. He was later in command of Fighter Squadron Vendée. He attended the Collège interarmées de Défense (Joint Defence College) to until 2000 before commanding the Vendée. He was in charge of Operation Carbet in Haiti in 2004. He participated in the South Asia Operation Béryx in 2005. He was moved to Paris to serve the Paris-based Joint Strategic Planning and Command Operations Centre in which he was tasked with several peacekeeping and humanitarian operations to until 2005 when he rose to be the planning officer of Air Force Staff, in the office which he relate with issues related to space and European cooperation.