At the start of the 2026 academic year, ENSTA and ISAE-SUPAERO are launching a new engineering course dedicated to advanced engineering and complex systems for the strategic fields of defence and security and, more generally, the technological sovereignty of dual and civil industries.
Designed in partnership with the manufacturers of the Defence Technological and Industrial Base (BITD) and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), this course aims to equip France and Europe with the scientific and technical skills that are essential to maintaining their strategic autonomy and supporting innovation in sensitive sectors, both civil and military.
Accredited by the Commission des titres d’ingénieur (CTI), this three-year course is mainly accessible via the Mines-Télécom competitive entrance exam. It prepares multidisciplinary engineers – civil and military – capable of meeting scientific and industrial challenges in key sectors: cyber security, artificial intelligence, naval engineering, land engineering, aeronautical and space engineering.
A joint engineering degree: a first in France
This unique programme leads to a prestigious engineering degree awarded jointly by ENSTA and ISAE-SUPAERO – an innovation supported by the CTI, industry and the French Ministry of Defence. The aim is to train around a hundred engineers each year, including 50 military IETA engineers (engineers for armament studies and techniques), capable of designing, evaluating and piloting complex high-performance systems in France and abroad.
A springboard to strategic careers
Future graduates will work in sectors at the heart of the challenges of sovereignty, security and high technology. They will have responsibilities ranging from research and development to the management of innovative projects, in demanding and often international environments.
Highly qualified engineers
These men and women, both military and civilian, are trained to design, develop and pilot the most complex, high-performance systems for all types of environment, seeking technological superiority and breakthrough innovations.
A project supported by two Grandes Ecoles
"Our two engineering schools have decided to combine their expertise to create a unique course dedicated to the engineering of complex defence and security systems. This multi-disciplinary course will enhance the range of generalist and specialist training offered by our institutions, while meeting the increasingly sophisticated strategic technological needs of the civil and defence industrial sectors".
Estelle Iacona and Marie-Hélène Baroux, Presidents of ENSTA and ISAE-SUPAERO
Key points of the programme
- Engineering degree accredited by the CTI (Commission du titre d'ingénieur)
- 2 student statuses to choose from: student (civilian) or student military engineer (IETA corps: engineer for armament studies and techniques)
- 3 years of training after bac+2 (bac+5)
- Admissions : 99 places, mainly through the Mines-Télécom competitive entrance examination after scientific preparatory classes (CPGE)
- 3 work placements, representing 9 to 10 months' experience
- International mobility ofat least 16 weeks
- Common 1st year on the ENSTA campus in Brest
- 3 specialisation options, on 3 campuses: naval and land systems, on the ENSTA Brest campus; cyber and AI, on the ENSTA Paris-Saclay campus; aeronautics and space on the ISAE-SUPAERO Toulouse campus.
Focus on the "Aeronautics and Space" option at ISAE-SUPAERO
Offered in semesters 4 and 5, the Aeronautics & Space option, taught at ISAE-SUPAERO, will train engineers capable of mastering all aeronautics and space technologies, from the design of architectures to the operational integration of the most advanced systems.
The option covers aeronautics, space systems and launchers as well as missiles, drones and helicopters. Combining fundamental sciences, applied engineering and design projects, it prepares students to meet the major technological challenges associated with defence, security and the major aeronautics and space industries.
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