Key Benefits:
The Prime Minister,
On the report of the Minister of Defence;
Vu le Defence Code (Legislative Party), in particular, the book I of Part 4;
In view of the Civil and Military Pension Code, including article L. 24;
Vu le National Service Code ;
Vu la Act No. 70-631 of 15 July 1970 amended on the Polytechnic School, including articles 4 and 7;
Vu le Decree No. 77-788 of 12 July 1977 amended with respect to the age limit applicable to competitive recruitment of certain public jobs for persons raising their child or raising at least one child;
Vu le Decree No. 81-317 of 7 April 1981 modified setting out the conditions under which some fathers or mothers benefit from a degree waiver to attend various competitions;
Considering Decree No. 2008-955 of 12 September 2008 on military volunteerism;
In view of Decree No. 2008-961 of 12 September 2008 concerning the military engaged;
Vu le Decree No. 2008-939 of 12 September 2008 relating to officers under contract;
In view of Decree No. 2008-947 of 12 September 2008 establishing certain provisions applicable to military students in military schools of career cadets;
Having regard to the advice of the Supreme Council of the Military Function of 13 December 2006;
The State Council (Finance Section) heard,
Decrete:
Air officers, air mechanics officers and airbase officers command and supervise air force training. They exercise their responsibilities as a priority in their field of expertise and training. Their powers can extend to all areas of activity of the air force.
Operational formations that implement aircraft are mainly commissioned by air officers.
Technical and logistical operational services and training are mainly commissioned by air mechanics officers.
Operational formations that implement specific techniques or those of an administrative or general service nature are mainly commissioned by airbase officers.
Air officers, air mechanics officers and airbase officers exercise design responsibilities and participate in the operation of all Air Force formations.
They may also be used in the joint or other army formations, as well as in any other organization referred to in the 2° of Article L. 4138-2 of the Defence Code.
Air officers are assigned to aircrew personnel under the conditions defined by the Decree of 27 December 1929 Amending the classification conditions in military personnel navigating.
Air officers, air mechanics officers and air bases officers constitute three career officers whose ranks include the following:
1° Subaltern Officers:
(a) Sublieutenant;
(b) Lieutenant;
(c) Captain;
2° Senior officers:
(a) Commander;
(b) Lieutenant-Colonel;
(c) Colonel;
3° General officers:
(a) General air brigade;
(b) General Air Division.
Air officers, air mechanics officers and airbase officers are recruited:
1° Either after initial training:
(a) The students on the air school exit list;
(b) The students on the exit list of the Military Air School;
2° Either directly from:
(a) Students enrolled in the Polytechnic School's exit classification table;
(b) Contracted officers and career non-commissioned officers.
Admission to the School of Air is:
1° By one or more competitive examinations open to candidates with a graduate degree of general, technological or professional secondary education or a recognized equivalent title, or another title or diploma ranked at least at level IV and up to twenty-two years of age;
2° By one or more competitive examinations open to candidates who hold a general or technological higher education licence or a recognized equivalent title or other degree at least level II and who are at least twenty-two years of age;
3° By one or more title contests, on the proposal of the commission referred to in section 31, open to candidates holding a degree or title conferring the grade provided by the Decree No. 99-747 of 30 August 1999 relating to the creation of the master's degree on a list prepared by decree of the Minister of Defence and up to twenty-five years.
Admission to the Military Air School is made:
1° By competitive examinations open to non-commissioned and aspiring candidates who have completed at least three years of effective military service in the air force and hold a graduate degree in the second cycle of general, technological or professional secondary education or a recognized equivalent qualification, or another title or diploma classified at least level IV;
2° By competition on open titles to non-commissioned and aspiring candidates who have completed at least three years of effective military service in the Air Force, who have been declared eligible for the entrance examination at the Air School, the Polytechnic School, the Military Special School, or the Naval School, or who are holders of a licence of the higher general or technological higher education or other title
Candidates for admission to the Military Air School to integrate the body of air officers must be at least twenty-three years old and not more than twenty-five years old. The upper age limit is extended to twenty-seven years for candidates with the second-degree military pilot patent as well as for candidates with the navigator military patent, provided that the latter candidates have applied to be assigned to the speciality of browser officer weapons system.
Candidates for admission to the Military Air School to integrate the body of the air mechanics or the body of the air bases must be at least twenty-three years old and thirty-three years old.
The candidates for examinations under articles 4 and 5 shall be subject to the following provisions:
1° Conditions of age and conditions of qualification are required subject to the provisions provided by the decrees of 12 July 1977 and 7 April 1981 ;
2° No one can compete more than three times at the same contest.
Candidates who have not met the obligations of the article 4 competitions cannot be contested National Service Code.
The programs, the conditions for the organization and conduct of the competitions provided for in sections 4 and 5, the nature of the tests, which may be different depending on the bodies in which the recruitment is conducted, as well as the coefficients attributed to them, and, where appropriate, the exemptions of tests according to the titles or diplomas held are fixed by decree of the Minister of Defence.
In the light of the lists established by the jury of the contests, the Minister of Defence shall determine the list of candidates admitted and shall direct each of them as a student officer of the air, a student officer of the air or a student officer of the air bases, taking into account the number of places offered by the order set out in section 10, the rank of classification or the nature of the title held, the preferences expressed
The number of places offered under each of the competitions provided for in sections 4 and 5 is fixed annually by order of the Minister of Defence for each of the three bodies.
The number of places offered under the competitive examinations provided for in articles 4 and 5 may be determined by speciality.
Places not provided under one or more competitions or bodies may be postponed to one or more of the other contests or to another body.
Students registered in the Exit Classification Table of the Polytechnical School who, fulfilling the conditions of fitness set out in section 18, have been assigned to one of these bodies in accordance with their choice.
The initial training of student officers is carried out under the following conditions:
1° Students admitted to the Air School under 1° and 2° of Article 4 will attend a three-year school. They are appointed to the rank of sub-lieutenant at the end of the second year of the school curriculum;
2° Students admitted to the School of Air under 3rd of Article 4 will attend a two-year school. They are appointed to the rank of sub-lieutenant on 1 August of the end of the first year of the school curriculum;
3° Students admitted to the Military Air School attend a two-year school, followed by a specific training whose duration varies according to the specialties. They are appointed to the rank of assistant lieutenant at the end of the first year of the school curriculum.
Officer students carry out their education under the conditions established by the Decree No. 2008-947 of 12 September 2008 stipulating certain provisions applicable to military students in military schools of above-mentioned career cadets.
The general organization of this schooling is established for each school by an order of the Minister of Defence, in particular in matters relating to training cycles, examinations, terms and conditions of graduation or repetition. The duration of schooling may be extended for one year, for health reasons or in the event of insufficient results, under the conditions set out in the above-mentioned order.
At the end of their schooling, the student officers of the School of Air and the Military Air School who met the school's schooling conditions are the subject of a classification, under the school and each of these three bodies.
The orientation of a student to one of the three bodies governed by this decree may be modified, during the course of the schooling, especially in the case of an evolution of his or her physical fitness, under the conditions provided by the school regulations and subject to the fact that the entry classification of the person concerned allowed, from the beginning, this new orientation.
Students enrolled in the exit classification table of the Polytechnic School are admitted directly to the training courses provided for each of the three bodies after the School of Air.
may be recruited to elect and with their rank in one of the bodies governed by this decree, upon their request and on the proposal of the commission provided for in Article 31:
1° Officers under contract with the rank of lieutenant:
(a) Having completed at least two years of effective service as aspirant or officer;
(b) Aged at least twenty-three years;
2° Officers under contract of the ranks of captain or commander who completed at least eight years of effective service as aspirant or officer.
Career adjutants with at least two years of seniority, career assistants and career majors may be recruited at the rank of lieutenant, in one of the three bodies governed by this decree, upon their request and on the proposal of the commission under section 31.
Interested persons must be at least thirty-four years of age and forty years of age for air officers and not more than forty-five years of age for air mechanics or air bases.
The conditions for organizing this recruitment are set by order of the Minister of Defence.
The conditions of qualification required for candidates for recruitment under this Order may be appreciated until 1 December of the year of admission to the Air School and the Military Air School or, for recruitments to choose, at the date of recruitment in one of the three bodies governed by this Order.
The age and age of service conditions are appreciated as of January 1 of the year for which the competition is organized or, for the elective recruitments, January 1 of the year of recruitment. The age conditions are reduced by a time equal to that of volunteerism in the armies, but without being able to exceed one year.
The conditions of suitability required for candidates to be contested under this Order and to be recruited shall be determined by order of the Minister of Defence.
An order issued by the Minister of Defence:
1° The list of recognized titles equivalent to the diplomas required to be candidates for admissions and recruitments provided for in this decree;
2° The list of diplomas issued in another Member State of the European Community or in another State Party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area recognized as equivalent to the diplomas required to be candidates for admissions and recruitments provided for in this Decree.
On 1 August of the year of their graduation, the students on the exit list of the School of Air or the Military Air School are appointed to the rank of lieutenant.
In the rank of lieutenant on 1 August of the year of their recruitment in one of the three bodies governed by this decree:
1° Officers recruited from the students listed in the Polytechnical School's exit classification table, with one year of seniority, in accordance with provisions of Article 7 of the Act of 15 July 1970 referred to above ;
2° Officers recruited from contracted officers under the 1st of Article 16, who retain their seniority in the rank within one year;
3° Officers recruited under section 17 from career non-commissioned officers without seniority.
They shall be appointed with their senior rank in the rank of captain or in the rank of commander, as the case may be, officers recruited from contracted officers under the 2nd of Article 16.
For each of the bodies, the appointments made under articles 11, 16 and 17 shall be made over a five-year period within the limits of the following percentages of the number of students admitted by examination under articles 4 and 5 of the same period:
1° For the rank of lieutenant: 55 per 100;
2° For the rank of captain: 15 per 100;
3° For the rank of commander: 10 percent.
Places left vacant in one of the bodies can be attributed to the other bodies.
An equality of seniority in the rank of lieutenant, the officers admitted in one of the three bodies governed by this decree shall take rank in the descending order as follows:
1° Lieutenants recruited under 1° and 2° of Article 4 from the students on the Air School exit list.
They rank among themselves on the list of seniority of their rank according to the classification referred to in Article 13;
2° Lieutenants recruited from the students of the Polytechnic School.
They take rank between them on the list of seniority of their rank in the conditions fixed to the first paragraph of Article 7 of the Act of 15 July 1970 referred to above and in the order of graduation of the Polytechnic School;
3° Lieutenants recruited under 3rd of Article 4 from the students on the Air School exit list.
They rank among themselves on the list of seniority of their rank according to the classification referred to in Article 13;
4° Lieutenants recruited from the students on the exit list of the Military Air School.
They rank among themselves on the list of seniority of their rank, according to the classification mentioned in article 13;
5° Lieutenants recruited from contracted officers under the 1st of Article 16.
They take rank among themselves on the list of seniority of their rank in the order established by the commission mentioned in article 31;
6° Lieutenants recruited under section 17 from non-commissioned officers.
They rank among themselves on the list of seniority of their rank, given their respective seniority in the rank of non-commissioned officer. At an equal level of seniority, the rank is determined by seniority in the previous grade, if applicable, by seniority in the lower grades and, as a last resort, according to the descending order of the ages.
In the ranks of captain or commander, the captains or commanders recruited under 2° of Article 16 shall, respectively, rank after the captains and career commanders having the same seniority in the rank.
At an equal level of seniority, they take rank given their seniority in the previous grade, if applicable, of seniority in the lower grades and, ultimately, according to the descending order of the ages.
Promotions at the ranks of lieutenant and captain take place in seniority.
Promotions at the rank of commander take place at the choice or seniority.
Other promotions are chosen.
For promotions to choose from:
1° The minimum grade age limit is estimated at December 31 of the promotion year;
2° The maximum grade seniority limit is estimated on January 1 of the promotion year.
The officers promoted on the same day take rank in the order of their seniority in the rank previously held.
I. ― Deputy lieutenants are promoted to the rank of lieutenant at a grade year.
II. – Lieutenants are promoted to the rank of captain:
1° Three years of rank for the air officers' corps;
2° Four years of rank for the bodies of the mechanic air officers and airbase officers.
They are promoted to the rank of Commander for a party to choice when they have at least four years of grade and for a part in seniority at ten years of grade the captains who hold a diploma in the first degree of higher military education on a list fixed by order of the Minister of Defence.
The number of captains promoted each year to the rank of senior commander cannot exceed 25 per cent of the total number of members promoted to that rank in the same year.
Only can be promoted to the higher rank than they hold:
1° Commanders with at least three years and at least eight years of grade;
2° Lieutenant Colonels who are at least three years of age and nine years of grade and who, as of December 31 of the year before their possible promotion, are more than three years from the age limit of the rank of colonel;
3° Colonels with at least four years of grade and who, as of December 31 of the year preceding the year of their possible promotion, are within two years of their age limit;
4° Air brigade generals with at least two years and six months of grade and who, as of December 31 of the year before their possible promotion, are more than one year from the age limit of the rank of colonel.
Members of the commission scheduled for theArticle L. 4136-3 of the Defence Code and, where appropriate, their alternates shall be designated by order of the Minister of Defence.
The commission is chaired by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force or its representative. It is entitled to the Inspector General of Air Force, the Air Force Inspector and the Air Force Human Resources Director. In the event of equal sharing of votes, the president's voice is preponderant.
The Commission shall submit to the Minister of Defence its proposals for listing in the advance tables to the ranks of senior officers, as well as for recruitment under sections 4, 16 and 17.
Officers selected for a promotion of choice are listed on a progress table established in the order of their seniority in the rank held. The progress tables are arrested by the Minister of Defence and published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.
The access conditions at the level are determined by grade in accordance with the following table:
| General Aviation Division | Single scale | ||
| Air brigade general | Single scale | ||
| Colonel | exceptional Echelon | After 5 years of grade, 1 year in the previous level, for colonels appointed to a functional position on a list set by decision of the Minister of Defence; or after 7 years of grade, 1 year in the previous level | Echelon accessible within the limits of a digital contingent established by decree of the Minister of Defence and ministers responsible for the budget and the public service. |
| 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 4 years of grade After 1 year of grade Prior to 1 year of grade | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel | 2nd step | After 3 years at the previous level | Echelon assigned within 25% of the previous level (1). |
| 1st special stage | After 9 years of grade and before 13 years of grade | Echelon awarded within 7% of grade (1). | |
| 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 4 years of grade After 2 years of grade After 1 year of grade Prior to 1 year of grade | ||
| Commander | 2nd step | After 3 years at the previous level | Echelon assigned within 25% of the previous level (1). |
| 1st special stage | After 8 years of grade and before 11 years of grade | Echelon awarded within 5% of grade (1). | |
| 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 6 years of grade After 2 years of grade After 1 year of grade Prior to 1 year of grade | ||
| Captain | exceptional Echelon | After 10 years of grade and before 14 years of grade | Echelon awarded within 3% of grade strength (1). |
| 5th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 7 years of grade After 3 years of grade After 2 years of grade After 1 year of grade Prior to 1 year of grade | ||
| Lieutenant | 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 3 years of grade After 2 years of grade After 1 year of grade Prior to 1 year of grade | |
| Sublieutenant | Single scale | Prior to 1 year of grade | |
| (1) For each body, this number is rounded to the upper unit. | |||
During the recruitments under articles 4, 5, 11 and 17 and in grades, the officers are ranked at the first level of their new rank. In the event that this classification has the effect of assigning officers a lower index than they previously held, they retain their former personal index until they reach a level in the body with a minimum rating.
During the recruitments provided for in section 16, officers are classified at the level of their rank with an equal index or, failing that, immediately higher than they previously held and are considered, for the increment of the level, as having an age equal to that provided for in this Order to reach the level in which they were classified. However, if the grade contains only indices lower than that previously held, officers are ranked at the grade terminal level and retain their former personal index until they reach the body a step with a minimum index.
The possession of one of the patents of higher military instruction in the second degree gives the right to a one-year upgrade of senior rank for the advancement of the level.
This bonus is not considered for grade advancement.
It is granted only once, regardless of the number of patents obtained.
When this bonus is without effect on the advancement of the level held in the course of obtaining the patent, or as such, only a partial effect, the interested parties benefit from this bonus, or its unused reliquat, during the promotion to the higher grade.
When access to one of the three bodies results from a body change, the interested person can benefit in the new body of the bonus reliquat not used in the original body for step advancement.
For application 2° of Article L. 4139-7 of the Defence Code, air officers placed on leave of air travellers benefit from the increment in the grade they held prior to their leave.
Officers who may not be eligible for a pension under the conditions set out in the provisions of Article L.24 of the Civil and Military Pension Code may file an application for resignment under the provisions of Article L.24Article L. 4139-13 of the Defence Code.
Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of section L. 4139-13, the number of resignations approved annually by the Minister of Defence pursuant to the first paragraph of this section shall not be less than 5 per 100, rounded to the upper unit, of the number of appointments made annually to the rank of lieutenant in one of the three bodies.
Air officers striped from aircrew for one of the reasons set out in articles 4 and 5 of the decree of 27 December 1929 fixing the classification conditions in the military personnel navigating are assigned ex officio either in the body of the mechanic air officers, or in the corps of the air bases officers. The choice of the host body is fixed by order of the Minister of Defence according to the needs of the service and the suitability of the persons concerned. However, cannot be appointed to the body of the air mechanic officers except air officers striped of the air crew from the Polytechnic School, the Air School or the Military Air School.
Air officers striped from aircrew may, however, be kept in their bodies when, presenting a final physical inability to the duties of the aircrew, they are within three years of the age limit of their grade.
On January 1, 2009, officers were reclassified to the ranks, retaining their seniority in the following table:
| SITUATION ANCIENNE | NEW SITUATION | ANCIENNETÉ CONSERVÉE in the |
| Grade and step | Grade and step | |
| General Aviation Division 2nd step 1 step | General Aviation Division Single scale Single scale | Not old Not old |
| Air brigade general exceptional Echelon 1 step | Air brigade general Single scale Single scale | Not old Not old |
| Colonel 2nd step 1st special stage 2nd step 1 step above 1 year 1 step under 1 year | Colonel exceptional Echelon 3rd step 2nd step 2nd step 1 step | Formerly acquired Formerly acquired Older acquired increased by 2 years within the time limit of the finish line Older acquired beyond 1 year Formerly acquired |
| Lieutenant Colonel 2nd special stage 1 special 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Lieutenant Colonel 4th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Not old Not old 2/3 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority |
| Commander 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Commander 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Formerly acquired within the time limit of the finish line 1/2 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority |
| Captain Special 5th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Captain 5th step 5th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Not old Not old 4/3 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority 1/2 of acquired seniority |
| Lieutenant 5th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Lieutenant 4th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Not old Not old 1/2 of acquired seniority Formerly acquired Formerly acquired |
| Sublieutenant 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | Sublieutenant Single scale Single scale Single scale | Not old Not old Not old |
As long as the officer has not attained the higher grade than that in which he was reclassified, progress in the ladders is made in accordance with the following table:
| General Aviation Division | Single scale | / | |
| Air brigade general | Single scale | / | |
| Colonel | exceptional Echelon | After 5 years of grade, 1 year in the previous level, for colonels appointed to a functional position on a list set by decision of the Minister of Defence; or after 7 years of grade, 1 year in the previous level | Echelon accessible within the limits of a digital contingent established by decree of the Minister of Defence and ministers responsible for the budget and the public service. |
| 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 3 years in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level / | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel | 2nd step | After 3 years at the previous level | Echelon assigned within 25% of the previous level (1). |
| 1st special stage | After 9 years of grade and before 13 years | Echelon awarded within 7% of grade (1). | |
| 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 2 years in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level / | ||
| Commander | 2nd step | After 3 years at the previous level | Echelon assigned within 25% of the previous level (1). |
| 1st special stage | After 8 years of grade and before 11 years of grade | Echelon awarded within 5% of grade (1). | |
| 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 4 years in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level / | ||
| Captain | exceptional Echelon | After 10 years of grade and before 14 years of grade | Echelon awarded within 3% of grade strength (1). |
| 5th step 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 4 years in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level / | ||
| Lieutenant | 4th step 3rd step 2nd step 1 step | After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level After 1 year in the previous level / | |
| Sublieutenant | Single scale | / | |
| (1) This number is rounded to the upper unit. | |||
When the implementation of the provisions of this chapter has the effect of placing the officer in a step below that previously held by the officer, the officer retains his or her former personal index until he or she meets the statutory conditions allowing him to reach a level with a higher index.
I. ― By derogation from the provisions set out in 1° and 2° of Article 5, the admission to the Military Air School shall be effected by:
1° Competition on open trials for non-commissioned candidates who have completed at least three years of effective military service in the air force and hold a graduate degree in general, technological or professional secondary education or a recognized equivalent qualification, or another title or diploma at least level IV;
2° Competition on open trials for candidates who have completed at least two years as a engaged aspirant or contracted officer in the air force and have a graduate degree in general, technological or professional secondary education or a recognized equivalent qualification, or another title or diploma at least level IV;
3° Open title competition for non-commissioned candidates who have completed at least two years of effective military service in the Air Force, who have been declared eligible for the Air School, the Polytechnic School, the Military Special School, or the Naval School, or who hold a licence or a title or diploma classified at least level II.
II. ― By derogation from the provisions of section 29, captains may also be promoted until December 31, 2009 to the rank of electorate after ten years of grade within the limit of 5 per 100, rounded to the upper unit, the number of appointments and promotions made each year at that grade.
III. - By derogation from the provisions of Article 30, the captains promoted to the rank of commander before January 1, 2009 shall be promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel no later than six years of rank.
IV. ― By derogation from the provisions of section 30, lieutenant-colonels with more than nine years of rank as of January 1, 2009, and who, as of December 31 of the year preceding the year of their possible promotion, are more than three years from the age limit of the rank of colonel may also be promoted to the rank of colonel at the limit of 5 per 100, rounded to the higher number, of the
The Decree No. 75-1208 of 22 December 1975bearing special status of air officers, air mechanics officers and air bases officers is repealed.
I. ― The progress tables for 2009 are prepared in 2008 in accordance with the provisions of Title IV and Article 42.
II. ― Recruitment for the year 2009 is organized in accordance with the provisions of Title II and Article 42.
III. - Subject to the provisions of I and II, this Order comes into force on January 1, 2009.
The Minister of Defence, the Minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Public Service and the Secretary of State for the Public Service are responsible, each with regard to him, for the execution of this decree, which will be published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.
Done in Paris, September 12, 2008.
François Fillon
By the Prime Minister:
Minister of Defence,
Hervé Morin
Minister of Budget, Public Accounts
and the Public Service,
Eric Woerth
Secretary of State
Public Service,
André Santini
