SIAé - Service industriel de l'aéronautique

What SIAé - Service industriel de l'aéronautique does

SIAé (Service industriel de l'aéronautique) is the French state-owned industrial service responsible for maintenance and modernization of military aircraft and helicopters across all three branches of the French Armed Forces (Air and Space Force, Navy, and Army). Although attached organizationally to the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace, SIAé operates as a unified enterprise on a 'compte de commerce' (trading account) basis under the Ministère des Armées, serving a single-customer, government-only market. It is structured around a central direction in Arcueil (Val-de-Marne) and five Ateliers Industriels de l'Aéronautique (AIA) located in Clermont-Ferrand, Bordeaux (Floirac), Cuers-Pierrefeu, Bretagne, and Ambérieu-en-Bugey, supported by numerous operational antennas co-located with French and allied air bases in France, Belgium, and the United States.

Its core offering is comprehensive MCO (maintien en condition opérationnelle) — the operational readiness maintenance and modernization of military aircraft cells, engines, avionics, equipment, and embedded survival/SIC systems. SIAé holds a deep portfolio of regulatory approvals (FRA21J, FRA145, FRA21G, EMAR145, ISO 9001, EN 9110) and operates a COFRAC-accredited metrology laboratory at AIA Ambérieu-en-Bugey. Platform coverage spans Dassault Rafale and Mirage 2000, Airbus A400M Atlas, Lockheed C130H Hercules, Transall C160, Breguet Atlantic (ATL2), Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, and helicopter platforms including NH90, Tigre, Puma, Gazelle, Lynx, Dauphin/Panther, and Alouette III. The Design Pole and Radôme & Composites Division at AIA Cuers-Pierrefeu extend scope into design engineering and composite manufacturing.

SIAé's business model is institutional service delivery rather than commercial sales: revenue is generated through maintenance and modernization contracts with the three French armed forces and the DGA, with compensation flowing through the state budget rather than as disclosed commercial pricing. Workforce composition is ~83% civilian state employees and ~17% military personnel, totaling nearly 5,000 in 2025, recruited via CDI contracts, civil service examinations, and Ouvrier de l'État status — with 350+ annual job offers and 150 planned apprenticeships for 2026. The pricing/compensation bands visible in job postings (e.g., €33,600–€50,000 for a test pilot, €4,800–€5,750/month for expert industrial planners) reflect public-sector civil-service pay scales rather than market-rate commercial pricing.

Name

SIAé - Service industriel de l'aéronautique

Legal name

Service industriel de l'aéronautique (SIAé)

Website

https://rejoignezlesiae.defense.gouv.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SIAé is the French state-owned industrial service that performs maintenance, repair, and modernization of military aircraft and helicopters for all three branches of the French Armed Forces, operating across five regional workshops and numerous operational antennas in France, Belgium, and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Aircraft Maintenance Services

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Military Aircraft MRO & Depot Maintenance (IMABALAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls (IMABAMAE), Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK), Military Aircraft Structures, Airframes & Composites (IMABAMAH), Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Military aircraft maintenance
• Aeronautical MCO services
• Military engine repair
• Defense aviation logistics
• Helicopter industrial support

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcueil (Paris)

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. State defense industrial services: SIAé operates as a state industrial entity under the Ministry of Armed Forces, functioning on a 'compte de commerce' (commercial account) basis. Revenue is generated through service contracts with the French armed forces (Army Air and Space Force, Navy, Army) for the maintenance and modernization of military aircraft and helicopters.
2. Industrial maintenance contracts: Annual industrial maintenance contracts with the three French armed forces for maintaining combat aircraft, transport aircraft, helicopters and associated equipment. The organization manages the full lifecycle of maintenance operations including spare parts, repairs, modifications and technical support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SIAé performs maintenance and modernization (MCO - maintien en condition opérationnelle) of military aircraft and helicopters for the French Armed Forces (Army Air and Space Force, Navy, Army). It operates five specialized industrial workshops (AIA) located across France that deliver comprehensive MCO services covering aircraft cells, engines, avionics, equipment, and embedded support systems. The organization also provides specialized capabilities including COFRAC-accredited metrology, radome/composite manufacturing, and design office services.

Product overview

SIAé (Service Industriel de l'Aéronautique) operates as a unified military aviation maintenance and modernization enterprise comprising five distinct Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique (AIA) facilities: AIA Clermont-Ferrand (aircraft cells, equipment, modifications for A400M, Rafale, Alpha Jet, Tigre), AIA Bordeaux (engine MCO for Rafale M88, Mirage 2000 M53, A400M TP400, helicopter engines), AIA Cuers-Pierrefeu (naval aircraft including ATL2, Hawkeye, NH90, Dauphin/Panther, with Design and Radôme/Composites poles), AIA Bretagne (naval aviation maintenance for ATL2, Rafale, NH90, E-2C), and AIA Ambérieu-en-Bugey (metrology, SIC systems, safety equipment, embedded service materials with COFRAC-accredited laboratory). Together they provide integrated MCO services across all French military branches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique de Clermont-Ferrand (AIA CF) Aircraft cell maintenance, equipment maintenance (3,000+ references), and modification/modernization of military aircraft including A400M Atlas, C130H Hercules, C160 Transall, Rafale, M2000, Alpha Jet, Tigre, Puma, and Gazelle. Emploves approximately 1,300 persons on the main site with ~150 additional at remote antennas.
• Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique de Bordeaux (AIA Bordeaux) Specialized in MCO (maintien en condition opérationnelle) and engine expertise for military aircraft. Maintains turboréacteurs of Rafale (M88), Mirage 2000 (M53), Alphajets, turbopropellers of A400M Atlas (TP400) and Hawkeye, and turboshaft engines of Lynx, Tigre, NH90 helicopters. Emploves more than 1,000 persons with dedicated M88 service counters at multiple sites.
• Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique de Cuers-Pierrefeu (AIA CP) NSI-level (Niveau de Soutien Industriel) maintenance of aircraft cells and equipment for naval aviation (ATL2, Hawkeye E-2C, NH90 NFH Caïman, Dauphin/Panther) and Army helicopters (NH90 TTH). Features the Pôle Conception (Design Pole) and Radôme & Composites Division. Emploves more than 1,000 persons. Provides infrastructure for DGA/EV flight testing and experimentation.
• Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique de Bretagne (AIA Bretagne) Industrial maintenance for French Naval Aviation including Atlantique 2 (ATL2) patrol aircraft, Hawkeye E-2C airborne early warning aircraft, Rafale Marine fighter aircraft, NH90 Caïman NFH naval helicopter, and Alouette III helicopters. ISO 9001/EN 9110 and EMAR/FR 145 certified. Emploves approximately 675 persons with roughly equal mix of civilian state employees and military personnel from the French Navy.
• Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique d'Ambérieu-en-Bugey (AIA AB) Four activity domains: Metrology (with COFRAC-accredited full-scale conservation laboratory), Information and Communication Systems (SIC), Security-Safety-Survival (3S), and Embedded Support and Aeronautical Environment Materials (MSEE). Each division operates with its own technical office and experienced professional teams.
• MCO Aviation Militaire (Maintenance et Modernisation) Comprehensive maintenance and modernization services for military aircraft and helicopters across the French Armed Forces (Air, Navy, Army), covering avionics, aeronautical mechanics, sheet metal work (chaudronnerie), electromechanics, and electronic systems. Includes supply chain, logistics, and information systems functions.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 350 job offers per year across specialized aeronautical maintenance roles
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Direction Générale de l'Armement / Essais en Vol (DGA/EV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIAé's AIA Cuers-Pierrefeu provides infrastructure and support services to DGA/EV (Direction Générale de l'Armement / Essais en Vol) for flight testing and experimentation activities. The DGA/EV experimentation centers use the AIA's runway and operational infrastructure for aircraft testing, including test flights for helicopters following maintenance and modification work.
• Air Base 278 (Base Aérienne 278)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Ambérieu-en-Bugey is stationed on Base Aérienne 278, co-locating its industrial operations with the military air base infrastructure for integrated defense support.
• French Navy (Marine Nationale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe French Navy assigns military personnel to AIA Bretagne in roughly equal proportion to civilian state employees, creating an integrated workforce that delivers industrial maintenance for naval aviation. AIA Bretagne is strategically positioned near the three Brittany-based naval aviation bases.
• NATO / Allied forces infrastructure (Melsbroek, Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Bordeaux maintains an antenna at Melsbroek in Belgium, providing maintenance support for French military operations and potentially NATO/allied forces aircraft passing through the location.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dassault Aviation: French OEM of the Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter families that SIAé maintains. Closely comparable because it operates in the same French military aeronautical ecosystem and increasingly competes with SIAé for through-life support contracts on the same platforms.
• Safran Aircraft Engines: OEM and MRO provider of the M88 (Rafale), M53 (Mirage 2000) and TP400 (A400M) engines that SIAé services at AIA Bordeaux. Directly comparable because it operates an engine MRO capability for the exact same French military powerplants, often in partnership or competition with SIAé.
• Thales: French defense electronics prime providing avionics and mission systems across Rafale, A400M, NH90 and Hawkeye. Comparable because it shares SIAé's avionics MCO space for the same military platforms and competes for higher-level electronic support contracts.
• Airbus Defence and Space: European OEM of the A400M, NH90 and C130-equivalent platforms maintained by SIAé. Comparable as a co-provider of military aircraft MRO services in France and across Europe, often under OEM-led 'power-by-the-hour' arrangements that compete with SIAé's state-industrial offering.

Direct peers

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL): Indian state-owned aerospace manufacturer and MRO provider that maintains a wide range of military aircraft, helicopters and engines for the Indian armed forces. Closely comparable to SIAé as a sovereign, state-controlled industrial entity performing military aircraft and engine MCO at scale.
• Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI / TUSAŞ): Turkish state-owned aerospace manufacturer and MRO provider for the Turkish Air Force, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Comparable because it combines platform manufacturing with state-driven military MCO responsibilities analogous to SIAé's AIAs.
• OGMA (Portugal): Portuguese state-owned aeronautical MRO provider that maintains Portuguese Air Force aircraft and engines, as well as third-party military and civil customers. Closely comparable because it is a smaller state industrial service with a similar model of multi-platform military MCO.
• Sabena technics: French independent aerospace MRO provider serving military and civil customers, including maintenance of transport aircraft and helicopters. Comparable as a France-based MRO competitor that targets overlapping military and government clients.
• Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group: UK privately-owned aerospace MRO group providing deep maintenance and modification for military airframes and engines (e.g., C-130, P-8). Comparable to SIAé as a European mid-sized military MRO specialist operating from multiple industrial sites.

Emerging players

• StandardAero: Independent engine MRO specialist supporting military and business aviation platforms. Comparable to SIAé's AIA Bordeaux engine MCO business, especially on turboshaft and turboprop engines used in helicopters and transport aircraft.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siae

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIAé - Service industriel de l'aéronautique