De Gaulle was promoted to lieutenant in 1948, and received in 1952 the command of the naval "flottille" 6F. He was promoted to corvette captain (lieutenant-commander) in 1956 and to frigate captain (commander) in 1961, commanding the fast frigate ("Escorteur Rapide") "Le Picard" (1960–1961). He pursued a military career in the navy as a naval aviation pilot and was made naval aviation commander of the Paris Region (1964–1966). Promoted to "capitaine de vaisseau" rank in 1966, he commanded the missile-launching frigate "Suffren" from 1967 to 1968.