French Air and Space Force Academy - Air and Space Force Academy Research Center

The Air and Space Force Academy Research Center (ASFAR) was created on the initiative of the Air Force in 2004 on Air Base 701 in Salon-de-Provence. Formerly the Air Force Research Center, it has evolved into an internal structure of the French Air and Space Force Academy (FASFA).

The ASFAR is located in the Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region, 35 kilometers from Aix-en-Provence where the University of Aix-Marseille is located, as well as the headquarters of the SAFE competitiveness cluster whose theme is that of security and “new aerospace uses and defense technologies”. The ASFAR is also located 35 kilometers from the Marignane aeronautical platform where a number of important players are gathered, such as Airbus Helicopters, the center of the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) Flight Tests as well as the Ecole Flight Test and Reception Personnel (EPNER).

The French Air Force Academy (FAFA) has been the training school for Air Force officers since 1937. As such, it trains all officers of the Air Force, as well as officers of other services (Naval Air and Light Army Aviation) or of foreign armies under agreement: flight officers, officers aeronautical systems, base officers…

Since 1947, the FAFA, which recently became the French Air and Space Force Academy (FASFA), has been located on Air Base 701, thus benefiting from its support network while also being subject to certain constraints in terms of security, organization, and logistics. The same constraints are therefore imposed on the ASFAR as well.

As of December 2022, the ASFAR comprises 25 teacher-researchers, including many PhDs, 9 holders of the “habilitation à diriger des recherches” (post-doctoral authorization to direct doctoral research) and 3 French Air Force officers.

Placed under the supervision of the Air and Space Force Academy, this laboratory is atypical in the landscape of French higher education.