Christophe Prazuck

Christophe Prazuck (born on October 11 1960 in Oran, Algeria), is a French naval officer. Promoted to Amiral (Admiral) on July 13 2016, he became simultaneously the Chief of Staff of the French Navy CEMM.

Formation and first assignments
Son of Amiral (Admiral) Stéphane Prazuck, Christophe Prazuck entered to the École navale (École navale) in September 1979. After the application school on the Jeanne d'Arc, he was assigned from 1982 to 1984 on the patroller Altaïr then on the Amphibious disembarking transport ship Champlain, based at the Réunion. He remained primarily in the zone around the Indian Ocean until his next posting as second commanding officer of the patroller Épée in Mayotte.

From 1984 to 1989, he joined the Submarine Forces, serving first on the Ouessant, then on the Doris as an operations officer; he was then an officer marked « armes » at the commission of practical studies. .

From 1989 to 1991, he was a candidate at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California where he obtained a doctorate Ph.D. in Physical oceanography (Physical behavior study of the Oceans). Following that formation, he directed naval environmental cell of Toulouse.

Commandments
In 1994, he became commandant in second of the command and supply ship Var, before assuming commandment of the amphibious ship Camplain the following year.

In 1996, he integrated the Inter-arm Defense College (École de guerre), the became chief of operations groupment (CGO) on board the anti-submarine frigate Tourville. In 1999, he assumed the commandment of the Floréal based in the Reunion.

Public relations
In 2000, he joined the Information Service and Public Relations of the Armies (Service d'informations et de relations publiques des armées) - Marine (SIRPA - Marine) where he exercised the function of second in command, before assuming the lead role in 2001 for a period of three years. In 2004, he was placed at the head of the Media department of Communication and Information Defense Delegation (Délégation à l'information et à la communication de la Défense) (DICoD), then in 2006, he became the communication counselor of the Chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies CEMA.

General officer
On August 1 2009, he was nominated to the rank of Contre-Amiral (Counter-Admiral) and assumed, on August 2010, the commandment of Maritime Force of the Fusilirs Marins and Commandos FORFUSCO in Lorient.

Promoted to Vice-amiral d’escadre (Squadron vice-admiral), he became, on August 2010, the director of military personnel of the French Navy and deputy chief of the general staff headquarters - Human resources - of the general staff headquarters of the French Navy (état-major de la Marine).

By a Ministerial Council (Conseil des ministers) Decree decision on July 6 2016, he was designated as Chief of Staff of the French Navy (Chef d'état-major de la Marine, CEMM) and was elevated to the rank designation of Amiral, as of July 12 by replacing Amiral Bernard Rogel promoted to Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic (Chef d'État-Major du Président de la République).

Decorations and medals

 * Commander Order of the Légion d'honneur (2015)
 * Knight of the National Order of Merit
 * Officer of the Order of Maritime Merit
 * National Defence Medal (silver echelon)
 * French commemorative medal
 * Commander of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (Order of Malta)