Address: Base aérienne 701, 13661 Salon-de-Provence Air, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Aerospace Systems Engineering, Air Operations & Command, Piloting & Air Navigation
École de l’Air et de l’Espace is the French air and space force academy, based on air base 701 at Salon-de-Provence. The school was created by decree in 1933, welcomed its first class in 1935 and moved to Salon-de-Provence in 1937. It took its present name in 2021, when the Armée de l’air became the Armée de l’air et de l’Espace.
The school trains officers for the air and space force across three tracks: flight crew, mechanics and air base officers. Its engineering diploma is recognised by the Commission des titres d’ingénieur.
Academic training is linked to research, with the Centre de recherche de l’École de l’air (CREA) and a cyber-defence centre of excellence on the site, alongside an ONERA presence. Former students include Jean-Loup Chrétien, Olivier Dassault and Caroline Aigle.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Logistics, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Military, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Under Ministry of Armed Forces. Partnerships with aerospace industry (Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Safran) and research centers (ONERA).
Research:
Aerodynamics and flight mechanics, Propulsion systems, Avionics and embedded systems, Air defense and space operations, Human factors in aviation.
Famous Alumnis:
Patrick Baudry, Jean-Loup Chrétien
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
400
Current students***:
700
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Prestigious military academy for Air and Space Force officers, strong aerospace engineering programs, flight training.
Cons
Military institution with specific admission and career paths.
Best For
French Air and Space Force academy for training officers and aerospace engineers.
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, covers engineering, aerospace and computer science.
Universität Stuttgart in Germany is known for automotive and aerospace engineering.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was the academy created?
It was created by decree in 1933, and its first class began training in 1935. In 1937 it moved to Salon-de-Provence.
Where is it located?
It is on air base 701 at Salon-de-Provence, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. The base was named after General Pineau in 1992.
Why was the name changed in 2021?
The Armée de l'air was renamed Armée de l'air et de l'Espace, and the school took the matching name École de l'Air et de l'Espace. The change followed that of the service it serves.
What does the school teach?
It trains officers for the air and space force in three tracks: flight crew, mechanics and air base officers. All three lead to an engineering diploma recognised by the Commission des titres d'ingénieur.
What research is done on site?
The Centre de recherche de l'École de l'air (CREA) is the school's research centre. A cyber-defence centre of excellence and an ONERA presence are also located there.
Who are notable former students?
They include Jean-Loup Chrétien, Olivier Dassault and Caroline Aigle. They are named in encyclopaedic lists of the school's alumni.
How can applicants find entry routes?
The school's website describes external competitions through preparatory classes and science or political science degrees, as well as internal routes for serving personnel. Calendars are published each year on the official pages.
Aerodynamics, Aerospace, Aviation, Engineering, Human Factors, Human-Centered Design, Manufacturing, Product Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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