''Imagining beyond the imaginary''. Red teaming and serious games for anticipation and foresight
This article looks at the new cognitive tools available to the armed forces to help them think about the war of tomorrow. After presenting the
"Athena at the beach": the IHEDN holiday notebook
The goddess of military strategy, war and wisdom in Greek mythology, Athena is also... the mascot of the IHEDN. Until the end of August, she will be taking us on an exploration of defence culture through a range of scholarly and entertaining content.
"Maritime cyber security: how is France combating cyber attacks?
The digital transition affects all sectors of the economy, and involves vulnerabilities that can undermine the various players involved. The maritime sector is also affected by this transformation... but with a few special features.
"Esprit 44": what national defence owes to 1944
Throughout the summer, in partnership with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation, the IHEDN is exploring various events that took place 80 years ago and were crucial to the return of the Republic, the country's sovereignty and its national cohesion.
"Hamas-Israel: what scenarios after the war?
The attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on 7 October were the first on such a scale to be carried out on Israeli territory. They caused the death of 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers, and the taking of more than 200 hostages by Hamas. This was an unprecedented shock in Israel, reviving the memory of the Shoah and the persecution suffered by Jews in the past.
"Hamas-Israel, War in Ukraine: what are the military lessons?"
On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory. To date, this has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis (according to the Israeli authorities) and the hostage-taking of 150 people. On 8 October, Israel launched an air operation against Gaza that has already claimed more than 1,000 lives. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced a ground operation involving the mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to recover the hostages and "eradicate Hamas". These recent events put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back at the heart of the strategic stage. After nearly 75 years of conflict, the prospects for peace and a two-state solution seem more inconceivable than ever.
"Israel faced with Hezbollah tunnels
At a time when the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip will have to deal with the problem of Hamas tunnels, Colonel Olivier Passot describes Israeli countermeasures against tunnels from Lebanon in 2018, from the point of view of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"Japan: a new key player in the Indo-Pacific?
Japan, a key player on the international stage, is in the midst of a strategic upheaval. The recent publication of two crucial documents, the National Security Strategy and the National Defence Strategy, testifies to this major transformation.
Russian "operative art" unveiled
Benoist Bihan and Jean Lopez presented their book "Conduire la guerre: entretiens sur l'art opératif" at the IHEDN strategic debates. They shed light on the origins of the art of warfare, its applications in historical conflicts and its relevance today, with the return of high-intensity warfare.
"The butterfly effect of world conflicts
Hamas-Israel, war in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sahel... what are the consequences of global conflicts on the international balance of power?
The attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October led to a series of chain reactions, a kind of "butterfly effect", starting with the launch of an air operation against Gaza by Israel the following day. Reactions are also multiplying at regional and international level.
"Iran, Hamas and Israel
As the Israeli intervention in the Gaza Strip against Hamas continues, Le Collimateur talks to Héloïse Fayet (Institut Français des Relations Internationales) about the role of Iran, a historic supporter of Hamas, and its regional strategy in this conflict.
"National defence, history and theory", by Professor Philippe Vial
The concept of national defence, which is fundamental to our institution, has a rich and eventful history. Historian Philippe Vial retraced this history in a lecture given to students at the 4th national session of the IHEDN. Part One (1870-1940).
"France in the Indo-Pacific
In its first issue, the Pensez Stratégique podcast from the Defence Academy of the École Militaire (ACADEM) looks at France's place in the Indo-Pacific. In this "meta-region", the theatre of Sino-American rivalry, how can France work towards regional stability while protecting its sovereignty?
"The Algiers putsch, a French tragedy
In this new episode of Fil de l'épée, co-produced with the podcast Paroles d'histoire, Le Collimateur looks at one of the most significant moments in the political and military history of the Fifth Republic, the putsch in Algiers in 1961, with Maurice Vaïsse, professor emeritus at Sciences Po.
"The EU's relationship with power is being turned upside down".
"To arms, Europeans! This is the title of the article by Pierre Haroche, a specialist in European Union (EU) defence policy, published in the 3e Rubicon volume, "The European and transatlantic awakening". In support of this observation, the researcher recalls the means implemented in recent years to strengthen European security, and puts forward concrete proposals. In the light of recent events, he returns to these essential themes at the strategic debate organised by the IHEDN on 15 November.
"Maritime issues directly affect our populations".
Vice-admiral (2s) Gérard Valin is head of the "Maritime Issues and Strategies" major at the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN). A former admiral commanding the Indian Ocean maritime zone, he deciphers current developments in the maritime domain, which has become an area of confrontation.
"Women must be more involved in spreading the spirit of defence".
Sophie de Ravinel is a listener at 2e national session 2022-2023, defence policy major. The current strategic context was the trigger for her application. The political journalist from Le Figaro wanted to improve her knowledge of defence and national security issues. A few days after registration opened for the 2023-2024 national session, she explains why women should apply.
"Louis XIV and the Royale, the Sun meets the sea
In 1624, under the reign of Louis XIII, Richelieu created the Royal Navy. Why then are Colbert and Louis XIV remembered as the real instigators of an ambitious naval policy? Can we speak of a golden age for the navy under the Sun King?
"Monuments Men: the French twist on a famous epic
Highlighted by an exhibition in the Val-d'Oise, the mission to recover works of art in the defeated Third Reich conceals little-known facets beyond art and the curator and Resistance fighter Rose Valland.
"New space: the strategic challenges of space privatisation
Driven by the rise of private players and technological innovation, new space is overturning the balance of power in space. Between ambitions for sovereignty, industrial competitiveness and a still fragile legal framework, France and Europe are seeking their place in this new orbital order.
Stéphane Bouillon, General Secretary for Defence and National Security, talks about "Increasing conflict, new developments in hybrid attacks".
Climate change, war in Ukraine, foreign digital interference, lawfarePrefect Stéphane Bouillon, who has headed the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security since 2020, talks to IHEDN about the changing threat environment and the workings of the SGDSN, the control tower or "marshalling yard" for French security and defence.
"Intelligence, cyber - The US/Ukraine partnership
Behind the arms deliveries, US support for Ukraine also takes the form of more discreet intelligence sharing and cyber assistance to Russia, which Collimateur reports on with Jonathan Guiffard, associate expert at the Institut Montaigne and doctoral student at the Institut Français de Géopolitique.
"Not everything that comes out of Putin's mouth is a lie".
For historians Tetiana Zemliakova and Guillaume Lancereau, Vladimir Putin "articulates a series of Third World clichés from the Cold War era and a cast of imaginary characters" based on "the concrete state of the political, intellectual and legal world". Rhetorical analysis.
