French Air Force Gen. Jean-Paul Paloméros has been approved by the North Atlantic Council as the next as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
Paloméros, nominated by French President Francois Hollande, is currently Chief of Staff of the French Air Force. He will take up his new duties at the end of September at Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk, Va.
General Paloméros will take over from French Air Force Gen. Stéphane Abrial.
Taking command in 2009, Abrial leads one of two NATO strategic commands, and is the first non-American to do so (Defense Daily, Sept. 10, 2009). He took over from U.S. Marine Gen. James Mattis, then dual hat commander of Joint Forces Command and NATO ACT. Mattis now leads U.S. Central Command.
The Council said throughout Abrial’s command he contributed actively to the adaptation of the Atlantic Alliance’s structures, concepts, resources, training assets and defense planning process. Also, the Council expressed deep appreciation on behalf of NATO governments.