Biography

After graduating in Latin and Greek, Baudouin Coppieters de Gibson (°1970) enters the Royal Military Academy in the Polytechnic division. In 1994, he obtains his degree in civil engineering, with a specialisation in telecommunications.

After training as a naval officer and participating in a campaign aboard the French helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc, he begins his career within the fleet aboard the minehunters Primula and Crocus, first as an armaments officer and then as an operations officer. He completes his air defence eduation, with a specialisation in communications, at the binational operational school in Den Helder before joining the frigate Wandelaar and taking part in the deployment of Fairwind 2000 in Asia.

Promoted to lieutenant in 2000, he completes his postgraduate studies in information systems engineering at the École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées (ENSTA) in Paris. In 2002, he qualifies as a Master of Science in military material engineering. He then joins the General Staff’s directorate General Material Resources (DGMR) and is in charge of material management as well as various projects for the Navy’s minehunters.

After completing the Candidate Higher Officer Course, he becomes commanding officer aboard the Primula in 2008 and participates in national and international missions.

In 2010, Lieutenant-Commander Coppieters becomes head of the ‘Mine Counter Measures’ section of the DGMR and coordinates the implementation of the binational BENESAM agreements on the material aspects of mine hunting.

In 2014 and 2015, as executive officer aboard the frigate Léopold I, he participates in Operation Atalanta and in the Maritime Capability Building mission in the Gulf of Guinea.

In early 2016, he takes over the binational project to replace the mine countermeasures capabilities, which culminated in contracts for twelve new vessels in early 2019.

From 2019 to 2020, Commander sg Coppieters becomes commanding officer of the frigate Louise-Marie.

He is responsible for the management of naval systems and the renewal of naval capabilities within the DGMR from the end of 2020 to mid-2024.

Commissioned as Rear Admiral (LH) he is appointed as Director General of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence, which is responsible for coordinating research, development and innovation for the Belgian Defence, as well as for studies and reflection in the field of Security and Defence.

He will be appointed Rear Admiral on 26 June 2025.

He is married and has four children.