Aeronautical Academy: agreement between Italia and France on the exchange of cadets following the Treaty of the Quirinal

An agreement between the heads of the Italian and French air force academies providing for an exchange of cadets, all in the wake of the Treaty of the Quirinale. It was signed in recent days by Air Division General Davide Cipelletti, Commandant of the Italian Air Force Academy, and Air Brigadier General Olivier Kaladjian, Commandant of the French Air and Space Academy, a technical agreement establishing an exchange programme for students attending the two air force training institutions. The initiative, as explained by the Italian Air Force, forms part of the broader framework of bilateral relations between Italia and France, further strengthened by the Quirinale Treaty, and has its technical basis in the Agreement between the Ministry of Defence of the Italian Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the French Republic, signed in Farnborough on 25 July 2000 and subsequently amended in Rome on 22 April 2010.

Launched in 2024 at the instigation of the Defence Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Paris, Air Force Brigadier General Girolamo Iadicicco, the initiative has led to the launch of a programme, the Cadet’s Exchange 2026, which sets out the terms and conditions of a bilateral exchange involving one Italian cadet and one French cadet during the first semester of the second year of their Master’s degree in engineering.

The Italian Air Force emphasises that the signing of the agreement represents an investment in the development of future officers, in their technical and scientific training, and in their ability to operate effectively in multinational contexts. Through this programme, the two institutions are consolidating a model of cooperation that promotes skills, professional culture and interoperability.

There are also provisions for the mutual recognition of periods of study completed abroad through the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), ensuring the full equivalence of study programmes. Both officers will also be able to take part, on a voluntary basis, in extracurricular activities such as conferences, seminars and visits to operational bodies and industrial organisations.

For Italia, the selected cadet will spend a semester studying for a degree in Engineering at the French Academy in Salon-de-Provence, whilst, at the same time, the French cadet will spend a semester studying at the University of Naples Federico II, with academic programmes defined by the respective universities and approved by both training institutions.