The Istres Flight Test Center (CEV)
Employing over 5,000 people, the Istres air base has one of the most important flight test centers in Europe.
The site offers more than 5,500 acres of ideal conditions to prepare and conduct flight tests. Its runway extends over 5 km, making it the longest in Europe, and thus suited to U.S. space shuttle emergency landings.
Established in 1950, the Istres Flight Test Center is the first French flight test center. Its missions include flight testing of prototypes, certification of foreign aircraft, the development and integration of airborne weapons, equipment and embedded systems and test crew and traffic control crew training.
