IHEDN: 90 years of promoting resilience
Founded in 1936, the Institute for Higher National Defence Studies is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.e anniversary. Its director, Lieutenant General Hervé de Courrèges, puts into perspective the importance of our organisation over time, at the dawn of an exceptional year of commemorations.
AI in armed conflicts: who is responsible in the event of a violation of the law?
While artificial intelligence can increase the effectiveness of military operations, it is not currently capable of anticipating all unforeseen situations. So who should be held responsible for violations of international humanitarian law? Two legal advisers working for the French Armed Forces provide some answers.
Ronald Hatto: «Brutality and condescension could backfire on President Trump»
A specialist in strategy and international security issues at Sciences Po Paris, Canadian political scientist Ronald Hatto analyses the new US National Security Strategy, describing it as a «break» that could lead to «a reconfiguration of the geostrategic landscape in a way that would not benefit the United States in the medium and long term». Interview.
Reflections on Austerlitz, a legendary battle for 220 years
Napoleon I's resounding victory at the «Battle of the Three Emperors» on 2 December 1805 is still studied and discussed today. Through the analyses of strategists of the past and the insights of contemporary historians, the IHEDN details the reasons for and extent of this lasting legacy.
IGA Patrick Aufort: «Strengthening an agile defence industry capable of ramping up production quickly»
At the Defence Innovation Forum (FID), held from 27 to 29 November, General Engineer Patrick Aufort, Director of the Defence Innovation Agency (AID), explains to IHEDN the agency's missions and trends in the sector: drones, AI, directed energy weapons, quantum technology, hypervelocity, etc.
Sophia Mahroug: in Iran, «the Revolutionary Guards are seeking to free themselves from clerical authority».»
On the occasion of the IHEDN 2025 Science Awards, we interview the winner of the thesis prize, a historian whose work based on digital sources sheds new light on the rise to power of the «pasdaran», the pillars of the Islamic Republic for over four decades.
Straits of Singapore and Malacca: an ongoing battle against piracy
Sea robbery is a major issue in this corridor, which is crucial to world trade. On the occasion of its next International Session for the Indo-Pacific (SIIP), the IHEDN takes stock of the situation and international cooperation on the ground with Commander Xavier Courbey and researcher Éric Frécon.
The European Space Agency, a crucial civilian player in defence and resilience
In the run-up to its tri-annual Council of Ministers, we take a look at the Paris-based international organisation, its civil and military activities, such as the Galileo satellite constellation, and its ambitious resilience programme, which will be put to the 23 Member States at the end of November.
General Baratz: "With or without AI, the military leader will remain responsible for his actions".
Lieutenant General Bruno Baratz, Commander of Future Combat, details the many implications of artificial intelligence for the French Army, particularly in the chain of command: the place of human analysis, responsibility, reliability, adversity, the question of energy in the field... A long interview.
Defence and risk prevention: the challenge of resilience
To mark National Resilience Day, we take a closer look at the growing inclusion of resilience in these sectors that are crucial to the country's security, with insights from Cédric Bourillet, Director General of Risk Prevention, and Sylviane Bourguet, Senior Civil Servant for Sustainable Development and Director of Territories, Property and the Environment at the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
