Very high altitude, an area of innovation awaiting regulation
(Re)discovered by the general public since the neutralisation of the "Chinese balloons", this zone between air and space opens up immense prospects and raises many questions, which the French Air Force and Space Agency addressed at a symposium packed with information.
CDT Alexandre: "At very high altitude, we're going to see the emergence of competition and contestation.
The issue of "very high altitude" came back into the spotlight with the neutralisation of "Chinese balloons" in American airspace in February. Major Alexandre, head of the aerospace power division at the French Air Force's Centre for Strategic Aerospace Studies (CESA), explains what is at stake in this area, which has become a hotbed of confrontation.
Marc Watin-Augouard: "Digital banderillas" are replacing "gunboat policy".
Head of the "Digital Sovereignty and Cybersecurity" major at the IHEDN, Gendarmerie General (2S) Marc Watin-Augouard looks back at developments in this area in 2022, against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Cybersecurity: the threat level remains high
Despite the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, there were no major changes in the IT threat landscape last year, notes the French national agency for information systems security (ANSSI) in its Panorama of the cyber threat 2022: the major trends observed in 2021 have been confirmed, and vigilance is still required.
European defence finally on track
After long decades of construction, recent years have seen the Union's defence and security policy get off the ground in a number of areas, notably on the maritime front, which IHEDN auditors are studying this week.
Strategic stocks: mobilise or immobilise?
The war in Ukraine has accelerated the debate on Europe's dependence on resources - particularly energy - and raw materials. Russian gas, Chinese batteries, Taiwanese semi-conductors... How can we guarantee the security of our supply chains in the event of a crisis? One of the solutions that has come back into fashion concerns strategic stocks, i.e. the organisation, management and replenishment of certain resources deemed essential either for the population or for industries. This note puts the issue of stockpiling into perspective, highlights the relevance of certain models, and raises the question of the resilience of our countries and of France.
Ludovic Schultz: "The agreement reached at the United Nations on 4 March is doubly historic.
After 15 years of discussions and negotiations, the Member States of the United Nations have agreed on an International Treaty for the Protection of the High Seas. Ludovic Schultz, an auditor at the IHEDN and recently appointed Director of the Écrins National Park, was involved in drafting the treaty for many years, first as deputy director at the Ministry for Ecological Transition and then as adviser to the Secretary General for the Sea. He sheds some light on this historic agreement.
High seas: behind the international treaty,
a national defence strategy
The UN has just announced a "historic" agreement on biodiversity on the high seas. This is an opportunity to take stock of an increasingly contested area, and France's strategy for defending its maritime zones.
Not far from Ukraine, the other European issue in the Balkans
To mark the 3e International session on the Balkans and South-East Europe (SIB), focusing on this border region that has long been affected by conflict and is increasingly integrated into the EU.
GBR Ortemann: "I never wanted to be dictated to.
Men are no more predisposed than women to take an interest in defence and national security issues. To mark International Women's Day on 8 March, Brigadier General Anne-Cécile Ortemann answered our questions.
