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Pol-Aurelien Sandrin

Commander (N) Pol-Aurelien Sandrin

Commander of the Helicopter Centre of Expertise, French Navy

He attended the French Navy Naval Academy from 2001 to 2004, including the « Jeanne d’Arc » application campaign the last year, where he was designated for the Fleet Air Arm
(« aéronautique navale »).


On completion of his helicopter pilot training, from which he graduated in November 2006, he was directly assigned to the 34F squadron, on the Lanvéoc-Poulmic Naval Air Station near Brest, using Lynx helicopters mainly for ASW missions. From 2007 to 2010, he served as an embarked helicopter detachment on several Navy frigates.


From 2010 to 2011, he was assigned to the Navy's rapid reaction force headquarters in Toulon, where he took part in the "Harmattan" mission off the coast of Libya, aboard the PHA "Tonnerre"


He was again assigned to the 34F squadron from 2011, becoming XO in 2015, and taking the CO position from 2016 to 2018. During these years, he was called upon on numerous
occasions to continue operational missions onboard anti-submarine frigates. He was promoted commander in 2017.


At the end of this operational cycle, he was posted to the Naval Staff in Paris, as Navy Rotary Wings Program Officer, where he worked in particular on the development of the future joint Guépard helicopter, which will equip the Navy from 2029, and launched the leasing contracts for the"Interim Fleet" (Dauphin and H160 helicopters).


In 2021, he was assigned to the Navy's rapid reaction force staff, as MAOC Director (air operations planning cell for the carrier air group). He carried out 2 operational deployments aboard the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" during the ";Clémenceau 22" and "Antarès" missions.


He was designated as CO of the French Navy Centre of Excellence for Helicopters in July 2023. He has logged over 2,800 flying hours, including almost 2,500 hours and 2,000 landings on the Lynx anti-submarine fighter helicopter.


He is married to Chantal and father of four children.

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