A delegation from ISAE-SUPAERO visits Delair alongside the French Minister of Defence
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The Labège-based company, with which ISAE-SUPAERO has a close relationship, welcomed Sébastien Lecornu as part of an order for 150 UAVs for the Ukrainian theater of operations.
A delegation of military and civilian students from ISAE-SUPAERO and the Institute’s Director General, Olivier Lesbre, accompanied Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the French Armed Forces, on a visit to drone manufacturer Delair in Toulouse on Thursday February 29.
On the theme of war economy, the ministerial visit was organized on the occasion of the French government’s order to Delair for 150 intelligence drones for the Ukrainian theater of operations. On this occasion, Sébastien Lecornu also announced an order for 2,000 kamikaze drones.
Dominique Faure, Minister Delegate for Territorial Collectivities and Rural Affairs, was also present, as were several members of the staff of the Direction Générale de l’Armement.
Located in Labège, France, Delair enjoys a special relationship with ISAE-SUPAERO. The institute has supported the company since its inception, providing access to its resources, laboratories and students. For several years, these relations have been structured within a joint laboratory dedicated to long-endurance mini-UAVs. They are currently being pursued through the Mermoz hydrogen drone project.
Training and research in the defense sector
Under the supervision of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, ISAE-SUPAERO is a major player in defense research. Strategic defense projects from ISAE-SUPAERO laboratories are partly funded by the French Defense Innovation Agency (AID), in fields of direct interest or strategic importance to defense. The institute also works on behalf of industries directly linked to defense (ADS, Thales, Safran, etc.), developing optical sensors for satellites for over 25 years.
ISAE-SUPAERO also trains military students. As a Polytechnique application school, the Ingénieur généraliste program welcomes some thirty Polytechnique engineers each year, as well as engineers from the IETA (Ingénieurs des Études et Techniques de l’Armement) program for initial training, and officers from the armed forces in the course of their career.