Robert Ranquet

Robert Ranquet (born 1953) is the Deputy Director of the French Defence College Institut des hautes études de défense nationale.

Ranquet was commissioned by the General Directorate for Armament as an "Armament engineer" (ingénieur de l'armement) in 1974. After completing his master’s degrees in Naval Architecture and Nuclear Engineering at ENSTA, he was first assigned as manager of the Nuclear Propulsion Department, DCN Brest, in charge of the maintenance of "Le Redoutable (S 611)" class SSBN propulsion systems. In 1984, he joined DCN Indret, as the Head of the Materials Research Center. He moved in 1989 from this position to the Head of the Nuclear Propulsion Department, in charge of development and design of naval nuclear reactors. In this position, he managed the development of nuclear plants for the "Le Triomphant" class SSBN and the "Charles de Gaulle (R 91)" aircraft carrier. In 1992, he was promoted to Deputy Director, DCN Indret, in charge of overall Research and Development activities. He initiated numerous international cooperations with British and U.S. firms within the framework of the "Horizon class frigate" European project.

In 1994, Ranquet was special assistant to the Director for Atlantic/Europe Cooperation, International Affairs Directorate - DGA Paris. He was then selected as an exchange student for the class of 1995 at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair - in Washington, D.C., before joining the French Embassy as Deputy-Armament Attaché, and then Armament Attaché in October 1996. He was the representative for the Délégué général pour l'armement (Head of the General Directorate for Armament) to the U.S.

Ranquet's military and civilian education includes : Polytechnique, ENSTA, (master's degree in naval architecture); Institut national des sciences et techniques nucléaires, Saclay (master's degree in nuclear engineering); Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington D.C.(master's degree in National Resources Strategy). He was also awarded the American Defense Preparedness Association 1995 award for excellence in research for his work on "Think Tanks and the National Security Strategy Formulation Process."

Upon his return to France in 1998, Ranquet served two years at the new Center for Higher Armaments Studies, as the head of the Strategic Research Department, and the Executive Director of the Defense Science Council. In 2000, he joined the Directorate for Test and Evaluation Centers, as the Director of the Etablissement technique central d'Arcueil. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General (Armt. Corp) on March 1, 2001. Ranquet was appointed Deputy Director, Strategic Affairs (Policy) on May 1, 2003 and promoted to the Major General rank on 1 January 2005.

Ranquet’s awards include the French Légion d'honneur, and the Ordre National du Mérite.