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A Frenchman in command of the Atalanta operation in the area (Maj)

The rear admiral on taking up his post on Operation Harmattan (credit: French Ministry of Defense / DICOD)

(BRUSSELS2) After 4 months of Spanish command, the EU anti-piracy force finds a French commander in the Indian Ocean. It is Rear-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Dupuis who will officiate aboard the BCR Marne (Command and supply building) which will serve as the flagship in the area.

Jean-Baptiste Dupuis is deputy to the commander of the aeromaritime rapid reaction force. He took command in August 2011 of Task Force (TF) 473, the maritime component of Operation Harmattan in Libya, succeeding Rear Admiral Coindreau. He also commanded the frigate Tourville.

Born in Caen in 1961, Jean-Baptiste Dupuis entered the Naval Academy in 1981 and specialized in “anti-submarine warfare”. He then served on various patrol boats and frigates based in Nouméa, Toulon and Brest for eight years. In 1993, he was assigned to the "Programme" division of the Navy headquarters in Toulon and took part in the development of French sonars. He went back to Paris in 1997 as an officer in charge of all anti-submarine detection systems. A graduate of the 6th promotion of the Joint Defense College at the Military School of Paris, he left for the Poulmic school group as director of studies at the Naval School until 2001, before being appointed second in command of the frigate Latouche-Tréville. He participated for four months in the Enduring Freedom mission for the control of air and maritime spaces in the northern Indian Ocean alongside the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Promoted to captain in 2002, he joined the information management cell of the joint staff of Creil for a year and took command of the anti-submarine frigate Tourville in June 2003, his third command after those of the building-school Lion in 1986 and the aviso Détroyat in 1996. Auditor of the 58th session of the Center for Advanced Military Studies and of the 61st promotion of the IHEDN (Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defense) between 2008 and In 2009, he was appointed Chief of Staff for the Inspection of Forces in Operations and Territorial Defense and thus traveled to numerous theaters of operations. At the same time, he accompanied the rise of the Army Inspectorate, of which he became Chief of Staff when it was created on October 27, 2009.

This is the second time that a Frenchman has taken over the area command of the EU's anti-piracy operation. The first time, it was precisely Rear-Admiral Coindreau who was in command. Area command (in the Gulf and Indian Ocean) changes every 4 months. While the command of the operation is based on another rhythm: annually for the commander (still a Briton), every six months for his deputy (who is currently a German, the nationality varying with each change).

Entered service in 1987, 157 meters long, capable of going at a maximum of 19 knots, the BCR Marne (A 630) has refueling as its main function (it can carry 5000 t of fuel oil, 3200 of diesel and 1300 t of aerial fuel) and has a staff platform that can accommodate up to 70 people. Its crew consists of 180 men and women.The BCR Marne is commanded by frigate captain Vincent du Gardin.To know everything about this building this website of an amateur, in the etymological sense of the word

(Maj - Wednesday) Biographical complements on CA Dupuis.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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