Général d'armée aérienne Denis Mercier (born 4 October 1959) is a former
Chief of Staff of the French Air Force
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boa ...
. He was appointed on 17 September 2012.
On September 30, 2015, he succeeded General Paloméros and became
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
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of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
.
Le général Denis Mercier accède à l’un des commandements suprêmes de l’Otan
Ministere de la defense
Military career
He joined the French Air Force academy in 1979 where he completed a master's degree of Science in 1981. Qualified as a fighter pilot in 1983, he acquired extensive experience both as an operational commander and as a fighter pilot, having flown a total of more than 3000 flying hours primarily on Mirage F1C and Mirage 2000C aircraft, including 182 hours in combat missions.
Above all, NATO has been a constant throughout his career, at the tactical, operational and strategic level. Indeed, he commanded the 1/12 "Cambrésis" Fighter Squadron, a founding unit of the NATO Tiger association. He participated in numerous other NATO exercises and operations, including Operation Deny Flight over Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1994. Subsequently, he served in the NATO department of the French Joint Operational Planning Headquarters, working as a project officer for Exercise "Strong Resolve ’98", during which he embarked aboard USS Mount Whitney as director of Joint Fires. In 1999, he integrated the operational planning of French participation in NATO Operation Allied Force in Kosovo.
Posted from 1999 to 2002 as deputy head of the combined joint task force deputy branch at Regional Headquarters AFNORTH, in Brunssum (Netherlands), he contributed to the development of the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) concept. He was a member of the combined analysis team for Exercise "Allied Effort '01" and an evaluator of the CJTF HQ for Exercise "Strong Resolve '02". He also acted as liaison officer for the CJTF HQ COMSTRIKFLTLANT (Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic) stationed in Norfolk.
Back in France, he was appointed as the commander of Reims Air force base, integrating the Mirage F1CR squadrons under his command into ISAF in Afghanistan.
From 2004 to 2008 he was assigned to the French Air Force headquarters in Paris, as the head of the plans division and was nominated as a flag officer in 2007 as Acting Chief of Staff (ACOS) for budget and performance.
He then commanded the French Air Force Academy in Salon-de-Provence, where he was a transformative leader, fostering enduring partnerships with allies and prestigious universities.
Following his nomination as senior military advisor for the minister of Defence in 2010, General Mercier prepared and participated in all NATO ministerial meetings between 2010 and 2012, as well as the NATO summits of Lisbon and Chicago. Moreover, he was the minister's special advisor for Operation Unified Protector over Libya. He became the French Air Force Chief of Staff on September 17, 2012, which formalized his contact with Air Chiefs throughout the Alliance.
On 28 June 2013, he was named Commander of the French Legion of Honor.
He was confirmed by the North Atlantic Council as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation on 23 March 2015, date on which he has been awarded the rank of Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honor. He is also, among other distinctions, an officer of the National Order of Merit.
Major military awards
*Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
(France)
*Officer of the Ordre national du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's esta ...
(France)
*Médaille de l'Aéronautique
The Aeronautical Medal (french: "Médaille de l'Aéronautique") is a state decoration of France established by the decree of February 14, 1945. It is awarded to both military personnel and civilians for outstanding accomplishments related to t ...
(France)
*Croix du Combattant
The Combatant's Cross (french: "Croix du combattant") is a French decoration that recognizes, as its name implies, those who fought in combat for France. The Poilus (French combat soldiers) of World War I worked toward recognition by the governm ...
(France)
*Overseas Medal
The Overseas Medal (french: Médaille d'Outre-Mer) is a commemorative or campaign medal issued to members of the French Armed Forces and other nations in assistance to French troops for participating in operations outside national territory. It rep ...
with two bars (France)
*National Defence Medal
The National Defence Medal (french: "Médaille de la Défense nationale") is a French military decoration. It was created by Charles Hernu, Minister of Defence and established by decree on 21 April 1982. It rewards particularly honourable service ...
(gold grade) with bar (France)
*Medal of the Nation's Gratitude
The Medal of the Nation's Gratitude (french: "Medaille de Reconnaissance de la Nation") is a French state decoration established on 12 April 2002 by decree 2002-511 and awarded to civilians, veterans of civil or military service, and to members ...
with bar (France)
*Médaille commémorative française
The French commemorative medal (french: "Médaille commémorative française") is a French decoration intended to recognize civilians and soldiers who took part in specific missions ordered by the French government carried out outside of French ...
with bar (France)
*Order of Abdulaziz al Saud
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* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
, Second Class (Saudi Arabia)
*Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne, nl, Kroonorde) is a national order of the Kingdom of Belgium. The Order is one of Belgium's highest honors.
History
The Order was established on October 15, 1897 by King Leopold II
* ...
*''Unidentified decoration with gold disc and gold star''
*Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
The Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) ( eng, Meritorious Service Medal (Military)) is a decoration awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links wi ...
(Singapore)
*Meritorious Service Medal (Canada)
The Meritorious Service Medal (french: Médaille du service méritoire) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, through the Governor- in-Counci ...
''(Military version)''
*Polish Army Medal
The Polish Army Medal ( pl, Medal Wojska Polskiego) was established by Poland on 3 September 1999 to recognize service to the Polish Army by foreign civilians and military personnel. The medal is presented in three grades Gold, Silver, and Bronze b ...
in bronze
*Military Merit Order, Grand Cross (United Arab Emirates)
*Grand Officer of the Order of Aeronautical Merit
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* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
(Brazil)
* Bundeswehr Cross of Honour in Gold (Germany)
*Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
, Grand Officer
* Cross of Aeronautical Merit, White Grand Cross (Spain)
*''Unidentified''
*NATO Meritorious Service Medal
The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium.
Ba ...
with bar
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercier, Denis
French Air Force generals
Chiefs of the Staff of the French Air and Space Force
1959 births
Living people
École de l'air alumni
Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite
Recipients of the Aeronautical Medal
Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Grand Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
20th-century French military personnel
21st-century French military personnel