page_title: Pierre-François Forissier
section_title: Military career
hierarchical_section_title: Pierre-François Forissier / Biography / Military career
caption_attribution_description: Admiral Pierre-François Forissier, Chief of Staff of the French Navy (pictured right), is escorted by Cmdr. Chris Higginbotham, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, left, as Forissier reviews the ceremonial guard. (Text by United States Navy)
context_page_description: Pierre-François Forissier is a notable French Admiral Submariner and former Chief of Staff of the French Navy, a post which he took up, on February 4, 2008 and left on September 12, 2011.
context_section_description: Pierre-François entered the École Navale (1971–1974). Upon completing his chartered course, he graduated as an enseigne de vaisseau de première classe and rallied to the French Submarine Forces FSM in 1975. He served on all types of operational submarines, notably commanding the nuclear attack submarine SNA Rubis and the ballistic missile submarine SNLE Tonnant.
  In 1974, he served on the 20th minesweepers surface division and the minesweeper Glycine as second officer in command, then in 1990 as a manoeuvring-officer of the carrier Foch.
  In 1993, he was designated as second in command of the Brest Naval Training Centre.
  He served also at the general staff headquarters of the French Navy (French: état-major de la marine) in the « Material » division, the a couple years later in the « Plans » division and was promoted to Contre-Amiral (Counter-Admiral) in 2001.
  He then occupied the functions of territorial assistant (French: adjoint) to the commandant of the coded maritime region « Atlantic ».
  Vice-Amiral (Vice-Admiral), he commanded the Submarines Forces FSM and Force Océanique Stratégique FOST before being designated as a Vice-Amiral d'Escadre (Squadron Vice-Admiral) deputy in 2005 at the post of Major Général de La Marine (French: major général de la marine).
  On November 4, 2008, he was elevated to the rank of Amiral (Admiral) and designated as Chief of Staff of the French Navy (French: Chef d'état-major de la Marine). He left that command function on September 12, 2011 and was replaced by Amiral Bernard Rogel.
caption: Official Admiral's visit to the U.S.
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