The Treaty of Barcelona: the Franco-Spanish axis at the heart of European sovereignty
IHEDN Mondays are now available as audio files! Click below to listen: 00:00 / 00:00 Summer feature: «Athena at the Beach» is touring France! For the fourth year running, IHEDN is keeping you company throughout your holidays with the launch of its major […]
IHEDN launches renovation of its Lacoste lecture theatre
As part of the refurbishment of its Lacoste lecture theatre, the IHEDN has published a call for tenders on the government procurement platform for a contract covering clearance works and the provision of site facilities (deadline for submission: 30 June at 12.00).
See the list of students for the 2026–2027 national session
The decree of 29 June 2026 issued by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu appointing the trainees for the 6th national intake of the Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (2026–2027 academic year) was published in the Official Journal on 30 June 2026. This intake comprises 294 students admitted from a total of 816 applicants. The number of applications has increased […]
Opening of the 37e European Session of Senior Armament Officials (SERA)
La 37e The European Session of Senior Armaments Officials (SERA37) kicked off on Monday 2 March, with a first week organised in France and Brussels, launching this session which aims to strengthen joint reflection on the industrial, capability and technological challenges facing European defence.
Launch of consultation for the award of a public contract
The consultation for the award of a contract to provide quality monitoring and support services for the Qualiopi system has been launched on the PLACE government purchasing platform.
ADN 2026, a compass in a world of strategic uncertainties
The third edition of the Year of National Defence (ADN), a reference work coordinated by the IHEDN and published by La Documentation française, is now available in bookshops.
What defence for the Baltic States?
This fact sheet looks at the main features of the defence policies of the Baltic States. It first sets the scene by highlighting the salient features of their relationship with Russia since the collapse of the USSR. It then analyses the main defence measures they have taken since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. It concludes with their vision of the future of European security, based on strengthened national defence capabilities, solidarity between allies and a firm stance towards Russia.
General Manuel Alvarez: "To thank France, I wanted to join the army as soon as possible".
Manuel Alvarez joined the French Air Force as a private 2nd class at the age of 15, and has just left with 5 stars on his epaulettes. We take a look back at the inspiring career of this Spanish-born man, who reached the highest level thanks to the Republic's school system, military training and what he calls the "social staircase".
Cinema and defence, two intertwined worlds
This is the third episode in our summer series on "Culture and Defence". Initially a tool of communication and propaganda, war films have evolved over the course of history and conflicts. It has moved from heroic exaltation to denunciation of violence, from the memory of conflict to the exploration of soldiers' daily lives.
When music sounds the marching orders: the army, the nation and its harmonies
The second instalment in our summer series on "Culture and Defence": military music began as a means of tactical communication on the battlefield, but has evolved to go beyond this function alone. Today it is a universal language that speaks to both collective memory and individual emotions, and a powerful vehicle for national cohesion.
