13e edition of the cycle for civilian executives of the Ministry of the Armed Forces

Published on :

27 May 2026
Over the course of a week, the 13ᵉ cycle des cadres civils du ministère des Armées, organised by the IHEDN at the École militaire, brought together around sixty auditors to discuss major defence, security and international cooperation issues. Through lectures, visits and committee work, participants deepened their understanding of contemporary strategic challenges and strengthened their shared defence culture.
Photo officielle du 13e cycle minarm

From 18 to 22 May 2026, the IHEDN organised the 13ᵉ cycle of civilian executives from the Ministry of the Armed Forces at the École Militaire, bringing together around sixty auditors from various directorates and entities of the Ministry.

Designed as a key stage in the professional development of the MinArm's civilian managers, the aim of this cycle is to strengthen their understanding of the major strategic, defence and security issues, while consolidating their cross-disciplinary skills and their knowledge of the Ministry's institutional and operational environment.

Over the course of five days, listeners took part in a packed programme based around three main modules:

  • Strategic issues
  • Knowledge of defence and the armed forces
  • International cooperation and conflict

The conferences addressed major issues at the heart of contemporary defence and security concerns: intelligence and crisis management, European security and NATO's role, nuclear deterrence, space, climate change, defence partnerships with Africa and geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.

The auditors also paid a field visit to ArianeGroup, giving them an opportunity to immerse themselves in a major player in the French defence and space industry.

As with all the Institute's training courses, committee work played a central role in the cycle. Divided into focus groups, the auditors studied three strategic subjects:

  • The acceptability of the defence effort in French society
  • The digital resilience of the public sector in the face of hybrid threats
  • The public faced with misinformation

As well as acquiring knowledge, this course also aims to develop a common defence culture and encourage exchanges between managers from a variety of professional backgrounds: administrative, financial, legal, human resources, property, purchasing and project management functions.

Through this course, the IHEDN is pursuing its mission of raising awareness and supporting civilian and military decision-makers in the face of contemporary strategic, technological and geopolitical transformations.