A graduate of the engineering university Arts & Metiers, Emmanuel Slaars joined the Navy in 1993 as part of his national service. Of the last 28 years, 18 have been dedicated solely to operations aboard warships, representing more than 8 full years at sea.
As a midshipman, his first bridge watch was aboard the frigate PREMIER MAÎTRE L’HER which was engaged from 1993 to 1995 in the combined operation SHARP GUARD, enforcing the prohibition of arms smuggling in the Adriatic Sea. Recruited on graduate, he joined the Navy officers’ training school aboard helicopter carrier JEANNE D’ARC and he specialized in above water warfare. He served notably on the destroyer DUQUESNE, before being assigned to the nuclear attack submarine AMETHYSTE. In one year, he accrued more than 120 days under the seas. In 1998 he embarked on anti-submarine destroyer MONTCALM and served as a division officer, during the TRIDENT mission in the Adriatic Sea, as part of FOCH Carrier Strike Group in addition to Operation KHOR ANGAR, to protect the port of Djibouti confronted with the Eritrean air threat.
Promoted to Lieutenant, he took command in 2000 of the training ship TIGRE. In 2001, he served for the first time in a shore appointment, and joined the department “Human Resources Policy” of the French Navy Staff in Paris where he was in charge of projects of pension reform
and revision of the military general status.
He returned to the operational force in 2004 aboard anti-submarine destroyer GEORGES LEYGUES and participated, among others things, in Operation BERYX, providing assistance to disaster populations in Southeast Asia. In 2006, he took part in allied operations against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean Sea. In 2007, he was appointed to Commanding Officer of the frigate COMMANDANT BLAISON. He then participated in security operations in support of Strategic Submarine Force (FOST) and in the summer 2007, while deployed to the Indian Ocean during Operation HERACLES, he participated in the rescue of the Danish cargo DANICA WHITE and her crew held hostage for three months by a group of pirates a few hundred yards from the Somali coast. After graduating at the Joint Staff College in 2008, he
joined the Strategic Affairs department of the Ministry of Defence, where he was in charge of capabilities development and maritime European Defence policy projects.
In July 2011 he was appointed on board Horizon-class air defence destroyer CHEVALIER PAUL as Executive Officer on board which he took part in Operation HARMATTAN – UNIFIED PROTECTOR conducting, under enemy fire, several combat actions against Libyan proGaddafi positions. In August 2012, he joined FRMARFOR as Chief of Staff of the CHARLES DE GAULLE Carrier Strike Group. As such, he was notably involved in the preparation and conduct of the Operation BOIS BELLEAU while to the Arabian Gulf.
On July 2014, Captain Slaars took command of the air defence destroyer CHEVALIER PAUL.
He was in charge of the protection of CVN CHARLES DE GAULLE during strike operations driven again ISIS from North Arabian Gulf in winter and spring 2015 as well as in 2016.
Auditor of the Centre des Hautes Etudes Militaires (CHEM) and the Institut des hautes études de la défence nationale (IHEDN) he joined the Joint Staff in 2017 with the responsibility of leading the development of combat capabilities in the aeromaritime domain. He contributed to
the work of the 2019-2025 military programming law and launched the very first work for a next generation aircraft carrier. In 2019 he has been assigned as French Navy Coherence Officer, in particular in charge of all military capabilities in their preparation phase.
Promoted to Rear-Admiral in June 2021, he is designated Deputy Commander of the French Maritime Force (FRMARFOR).
In August 2022, he is appointed as Joint Commander of the French Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean, Joint Commander of the French Forces stationed in the United Arab Emirates, National Contingent Commander of Chammal’s operation and European maritime awareness
Strait of Hormuz operation Commander (EMASOH OPCDR).
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