Having joined the Naval Academy in Brest in 1986 and graduated from the Military School for Atomic Energy, Vice-Admiral Didier Maleterre served aboard conventional and nuclear submarines for the majority of his sea-going deployments across a number of theatres, including the Indian Ocean for Operation HERACLES in support of the CHARLES DE GAULLE Carrier Strike Group immediately after the September 11 attacks. He served on SSK VENUS and SSN EMERAUDE, XO on SSN RUBIS and SSBN Le VIGILANT, and commanded SSN SAPHIR and SSBN LE TRIOMPHANT. He completed this period as Head of the Submarine Operations Centre at the Strategic Oceanic Force (FOST) headquarters from 2010 to 2011.

After graduating from the 8th Advanced Command and Staff Course (Joint Command and Staff College in UK) in 2004, he complemented his preparation for Senior Officer appointments by attending the Centre for Higher Military Studies (CHEM) and the Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) in 2011. He started the senior-level part of his career with shore appointments including Director for nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and export control within the Minister of Defence, followed by Advisor to the Defence and National Security Council at the Prime Minister’s Office in the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security (SGDSN).

Promoted Rear-Admiral (LH) in 2016, he joined the Naval Staff as coordinating authority for International Relations in 2017. In 2018, he assumed Command of French Naval Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean and of the Joint French Forces based in Abu Dhabi (UAE), acting also as French National Contingent Commander for Operation Inherent Resolve (Iraq). He was the first Commander of Operation EMASOH, the European naval operation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Promoted Vice-Admiral on September 2020, he was assigned to the Joint headquarters in Paris, where he was deputy CHOD for Performance and Human Resources. He then served in 2022 as the advisor to the Minister of the Armed Forces and in January 2023, was appointed Director of the ministerial “Task Force Support Ukraine”.

In June 2023 Vice-Admiral Maleterre was appointed the Deputy Commander at Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood (UK). He holds various decorations and awards including commander of the National Merit, Officer of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the Maritime Merit, the Submarine Medal and the Overseas Medal (Afghanistan and Middle East).