The French Air Force and Défense Conseil International (DCI) have inaugurated two centres on French AF Base 701 in Salon-de-Provence ­– a new UAV Centre of Excellence and a fully refurbished training centre for foreign students. DCI specializes in training courses designed to transfer the know-how of the French armed forces to foreign countries.

The French Air Force has created the UAV Centre of Excellence to meet the growing need for UAV operator training and to innovate in anticipation of future trends in this sector. The centre, which brings together the knowledge and the competences of the French Air Force, will focus on innovations in the surveillance of sensitive sites. Backed by the French Air Force Academy, its services are focused on research, technological innovation, system evaluation/specifications, and training.

The refurbished DCI training centre, also located on Air Base 701, is the International Academic and Aeronautical Training Centre (CIFAA), which offers foreign students the opportunity to follow training identical to that of the French AF. Graduates who complete the full course obtain a Bachelor degree through a partnership with Aix-Marseille University and the French Air Force Academy in Salon-de-Provence.

DCI also plays a major role in implementing the “Air Force Academy International Programme”, which was launched in 2015. This programme is entirely in English. It includes four to six months of supplementary training depending on the student officer’s speciality.