Major General Laurent Rataud

Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programmes French Air Force

Major-General Laurent Rataud joined the French Air Force in 1987.

He first served as a fighter pilot in Tactical Recce Squadrons for ten years. His first staff tour was on the Air Force staff as a program officer for tactical recce equipment before attending the War College in 2002. On return to the front line in 2003, he commanded the 1/33 Tactical Recce Squadron based in Reims. Between 2006 and 2010, he returned to the headquarters, first in the Joint staff in the French Strategic headquarters (the Centre de Planification et de Conduite des Opérations – CPCO - equivalent to the UK’s SPO Directorate), then in the Plans Branch of the Air Force staff. In 2010, he commanded the Avord Air Base for 2 years before deploying to Chad for 1 year as the Joint Force Commander for the SPARROWHAWK Operation. On return to France in 2013, he attended the CHEM and IHEDN, equivalent to the UK’s HCSC with an RCDS element. In 2014 he was assigned to the Joint staff in the Capability Branch as the air mobility specialist. From August 2016 to August 2019, he commanded the EMO-Air (Air Force Operations staff) before assuming the duties of Deputy Commander of the French Special Operations Command between September 2019 and July 2021. He has been in his current post as DCOS Plans and Programs for the French Space and Air Force staff since the 5th of July.

An experienced fighter pilot and operational Commander, he has flown more than 250 combat missions during 14 tours on overseas operations, amassing more than 3600 hours.