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| Général François Lecointre | |
|---|---|
| Name | François Lecointre |
| Caption | Général François Lecointre in 2017 |
| Birth date | 1962 |
| Birth place | Fréjus, Var |
| Allegiance | France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Serviceyears | 1984–2021 |
| Rank | Général d'armée |
| Battles | Gulf War, Bosnian War, War in Afghanistan, Operation Serval, Operation Sangaris |
Général François Lecointre was a senior officer of the French Army who served as Chief of the Defence Staff from 2017 to 2021. Born in Fréjus in 1962, he rose through armoured and infantry commands, commanding at unit, brigade and divisional levels and leading deployments in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. His tenure included high-profile operations, institutional reforms and public engagement during periods of counterterrorism, overseas intervention and strategic realignment alongside partners such as NATO, the United Nations, and the European Union.
Born in Fréjus, Lecointre was educated at national military institutions, attending the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr and later staff colleges such as the École de guerre. He completed courses linked to École militaire curricula and participated in multinational programmes with links to NATO Defence College, CGSC-style training and exchanges with the British Army and German Army. His formative education connected him to curricula used by officers from the Belgian Armed Forces, Spanish Army, Italian Army and other partners involved in European defence cooperation.
Lecointre began his commission in armoured and infantry regiments, serving in units like the Régiment de marche du Tchad and other metropolitan regiments historically tied to the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) and mechanised formations. He commanded at company and battalion level in operations linked to the post‑Cold War interventions such as deployments during the Gulf War and in the Balkan stabilisation missions connected to the EUFOR Althea and IFOR frameworks. Promoted through staff positions at the État‑Major des Armées and joint headquarters, he held brigade command and sector responsibilities involving coordination with the Ministry of the Armed Forces and liaison with the Ministry of the Interior in domestic security contexts.
Appointed Chief of the Defence Staff in 2017 by President Emmanuel Macron, Lecointre succeeded Général Pierre de Villiers and served during successive governments, engaging with ministers such as Florence Parly and predecessors in defence policy. His role involved implementing the 2018 Strategic Review, collaborating with parliamentary committees including the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat defence commissions, and advising on procurement issues with agencies like the Direction générale de l'armement and industrial partners such as Dassault Aviation, Naval Group, and Thales Group. Internationally, he represented France at NAC-related forums, engaged with counterparts including chiefs from the United States Department of Defense, the British Ministry of Defence, and the Bundeswehr, and coordinated with the United Nations Security Council on mandated missions.
During his career and tenure, Lecointre oversaw forces engaged in counterterrorism operations such as Opération Sentinelle, external interventions including Operation Barkhane, Operation Serval in Mali, Operation Sangaris in Central African Republic, and contributions to coalition efforts against ISIL in the Iraq and Syria. He directed French contributions to NATO missions in Afghanistan under ISAF and later Resolute Support Mission, peacekeeping tasks under the MINUSMA, and maritime security efforts in coordination with EUNAVFOR and bilateral partners such as United States Navy. He also managed domestic deployments linked to counterterrorism incidents coordinated with the Préfecture de police de Paris and rapid reaction units including the National Gendarmerie.
Lecointre was noted for emphasizing professionalism, cohesion and modernisation across the armed forces, advocating for readiness, jointness and capability development consistent with strategic guidelines from the Quai d'Orsay and national strategic doctrine. He pursued reforms affecting personnel management, training at institutions such as École de l'air and École navale interfaces, and interoperability initiatives with partners like Germany and United Kingdom through projects including multinational brigade concepts and multinational procurement dialogues involving European Defence Agency. He engaged with trade unions representing military personnel and with defence think tanks like Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique and academic bodies such as Institut des Hautes Études de Défense Nationale.
Lecointre maintained a visible public profile, providing testimony to parliamentary hearings in the Assemblée nationale and appearing in media outlets while navigating relations with political figures including Emmanuel Macron, successive prime ministers, and ministers of defence. He handled public scrutiny during debates on budgetary allocations, force structure changes, and mission mandates that drew interest from parties such as Les Républicains, La République En Marche!, Rassemblement National and left‑wing groups. Lecointre engaged with veterans' associations, commemorations involving institutions like Les Invalides and ceremonies marking anniversaries of battles such as the Battle of France and engagements dating to the Algerian War era, while interacting with NATO and EU political bodies.
He received French decorations including ranks in the Légion d'honneur and the Ordre national du Mérite, and campaign medals associated with operations in Mali, Central African Republic, Afghanistan and the Balkans. Internationally, he was recognized with honours from allied states such as awards from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Canada, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and NATO commendations for coalition leadership.
Category:French generals Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:Chiefs of the Defence Staff (France)