Major General (retired) Philippe Montocchio serves as the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff, NATO STO Collaboration Support Office (CSO) in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, since 1 January 2019. The CSO is the executive office of the NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO) responsible for coordinating, synchronizing and supporting defence and security science & technology (S&T) activities between NATO member and partner Nations, comprising a network of about 5000 scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Montocchio is a retired (Air Force) Major General with a 38-years active military service career. He started his operational career as a French Air Force fighter pilot, flying the Air Defence Mirage 2000 fighter jet. He also accomplished a three-year Exchange Officer tour in the US Air Force, in Arizona, as an F-16 C\/D Instructor Pilot. During his operational flying career, he logged more than 2700 flying hours, mainly on Mirage 2000 and F-16, and flew more than 60 combat missions over the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was then appointed Defence Attach\u00e9 to the French Embassy in Greece before fulfilling different staff and commanding positions in the French Air Force, in the French Armed Forces and in the French Ministry of Defence. In particular, he was Head of the NATO Office, then Head of the Euro-Atlantic (NATO & EU) Department in the Delegation for Strategic Affairs, French Ministry of Defence. Later, he was the Chief of Staff of the French Air Defence & Air Operations Command, and Joint Forces Air Component Command (JFACC) Commander, directing the Air Operations over Africa (Sahel and Central Africa operations). He was the General Officer commanding the French Forces stationed in Djibouti, Horn of Africa, for two years. He retired in August 2018 as General Officer in charge of the international cooperation of the French Armed Forces, French Joint Staff Headquarters, Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Montocchio is Commander of the National Order of Merit and Officer of the Legion of Honour. He received the Cross for Military Valour, the French Former-Yugoslavia Commemoration Medal, the NATO Former-Yugoslavia Commemoration Medal, the French Overseas Medal for Middle East Operations and the Medal of Aeronautics. He is also Commander of the Djibouti Great Star Order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Montocchio graduated from the French Air Force Academy and the French Armed Forces War College. He earns a Master\u2019s Degree in aeronautical sciences. He speaks French, English, Spanish and has some notion of modern Greek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Montocchio is married to Val\u00e9rie and they have three grown up daughters. He is interested in diving, snowshoeing, painting, cooking and interacting with other cultures.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":4881,"template":"","meta":[],"roles":[5],"yoast_head":"\n