On leaving the preparatory school of “Lycée militaire d’Autun”, he joined the 2002 Naval Academy’s promotion in Lanveoc (branch of Operations and Technics). After three years of academic training, during which he obtained his maritime engineering diploma, he went on the 2005-2006 JEANNE D’ARC mission to complete his fleet training at sea. He left the Naval Academy qualified in the “Underwater Warfare” specialty.


During his first assignment from 2006 to 2007 as bridge officer on the mine hunter (MH) L’Aigle in Brest, he deployed in the Baltic Sea (OPEN SPIRIT 2006). In 2007, he joined the Navy Diving school in Saint Mandrier. He fulfilled the mine clearance diver course and qualified as anti mine warfare specialist in 2008.
In 2009, he was assigned as operation officer on MH Persée which was decommissioned in June 2009.


Promoted to lieutenant in August 2009, he served has operation officer then as executive officer on MH Cassiopée. In addition to the missions in support of the Strategic Oceanic Forces, he conducted a second deployment in Baltic Sea (BALTOPS 2010). Between 2011 and 2013, he became the French liaison officer at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth (United Kingdom). He participated to the Core military and Leadership training of British and Foreign cadets.


Between 2011 and 2013, he served on the Lafayette Class frigate FLF Surcouf as First Lieutenant. He operated off the coast of Syria, in the Black Sea and in Indian Ocean.
From 2015 to 2017, he was assigned at the French maritime forces HQ as amphibious planner. He sailed on the three French amphibious ship during exercises (GRIFIN STRIKE 2016, DAMAN 2016, WAKRI 2017, ARC 2017).


In 2017, the took course in Madrid at the Escuela de Estado Mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas (Spanish forces’ Staff college) and was promoted to lieutenant commander in January 2018.
In July 2018, he returned on the FLF Surcouf as executive officer. He sailed in West and center Mediterranean Sea and in Indian Ocean and participated to numerous operations (BARKANE, CHAMMAL, ATALANTA, safety of the strait of Hormuz) and « FOCH 2020 » deployment).


Appointed as commanding officer of MH Lyre, he took command the 3rd of July 2020. FS Lyre countermined one torpedo and 2 naval mine, patrolled in Adriatic Sea and participated to the first Edition of the naval exercise POLARIS.


During the summer 2022, he joined the armed forces HQ in Paris to take in charge the « operational contracts » of the armed forces and got promoted to the rank of commander in 2023.
CDR Xavier-Adrien Courbey is married and father of two children.