Stéphane Abrial
 Stéphane Abrial     | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 7 September 1954 Condom, Gers, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | École de l'air, U.S. Air Force Academy, USAF Air War College |
| Member of | Atlantic Council/Board, Atlantic Council/Distinguished Leadership Awards, Tikehau Capital |
General Stéphane Abrial is a French general, educated in the United States, who is the previous commander of Allied Command Transformation based in Norfolk, VA, one of the two NATO strategic commands. His previous posting was as the Chief of Staff of the French Air Force.[1]
Since July 2015, Abrial has been senior executive vice president of international and public affairs of the armaments company Safran.
In April 2023, he wrote an open letter pushing for more arms to Ukraine and increased armaments spending[2].
Contents
French military career
General Stéphane Abrial graduated in 1973 from the French Air Force academy (École de l'air), and in 1974 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He completed pilot training at the French Air Force Academy in 1976.
From 1977 to 1991, he was a fighter pilot both in France (in Cambrai, Dijon and Orange) and, from 1981 to 1984, in a West German Luftwaffe unit. In 1988, he assisted the Greek Air Force in converting its first unit equipped with the Mirage 2000.
In 1991, he took part in the first Gulf War as a fighter pilot and commander of the French Air Force's 5th Fighter Squadron. Later that year, he attended the Air War College, at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
From 1992 to 1996, he was in the staff of the French Air Force Chief of Staff and the Chief of Defense Staff. From 1996 to 1999, he worked at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels. In 2000, he became deputy head of the French President's military staff, and in 2002 was appointed head of the French Prime Minister's military staff.
In 2005, General Abrial became head of the French Air Defense headquarters, in Taverny, and in 2006 Air Force Chief of Staff.[3]
NATO Supreme Allied Commander
Abrial received appointment by the North Atlantic Council as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation on 29 July 2009, the first European to be appointed permanently as head of a NATO strategic command.
In April 2010, he received a Distinguished Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council.[4]
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax International Security Forum/2010 | 20 November 2010 | 22 November 2010 | Canada Halifax Nova Scotia | Spooky conference in Canada in November 2010 |
| Halifax International Security Forum/2011 | 18 November 2011 | 20 November 2011 | Canada Halifax Nova Scotia | Spooky conference in Canada in November 2010 |
| Halifax International Security Forum/2012 | 21 November 2012 | 23 November 2012 | Canada Halifax Nova Scotia | Spooky conference in Canada discussing the "New Normal" and Western nations' "special burden". |
| Halifax International Security Forum/2013 | Canada Halifax Nova Scotia | Spooky conference in Canada | ||
| Munich Security Conference/2010 | 5 February 2010 | 7 February 2010 | Germany Munich Bavaria | An anti-war demonstration outside described it as "Nothing more than a media-effectively staged war propaganda event, which this year had the purpose of justifying the NATO troop increase in Afghanistan and glorifying the continuation of the war as a contribution to peace and stability." |
| Munich Security Conference/2011 | 4 February 2011 | 6 February 2011 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 47th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2012 | 3 February 2012 | 5 February 2012 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 48th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2015 | 6 February 2015 | 8 February 2015 | Germany Munich Bavaria | "400 high-ranking decision-makers in international politics, including some 20 heads of state and government as well as more than 60 foreign and defence ministers, met in Munich to discuss current crises and conflicts." |
| Munich Security Conference/2016 | 12 February 2016 | 14 February 2016 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 52nd Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2017 | 17 February 2017 | 19 February 2017 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 53rd Munich Security Conference |
References
- ↑ https://archive.today/20120908230924/http://www.professionpolitique.info/nomination/15-06-09/le-general-d-armee-aerienne-stephane-abrial-54-ans-actuel-chef-d-etat-major-de-l
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/17/democracies-vladimir-putin-ukraine-diplomatic-military-europe
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160919221638/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/base/annexes/biographie_du_general_abrial
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20200320160135/http://www.act.nato.int/news.asp?storyid=514
