The 235th session of the IHEDN in Corsica continued on Tuesday 13 June with a week of boarding at the Foreign Legion Accommodation and Reception Centre (CHALE) in La Ciotat.
This visit to the continent offered listeners a complementary perspective on the Mediterranean. After a lecture on security issues in the Mediterranean given by Vice-Admiral (2S) AusseurIn the presence of the Chairman of the FMES, the listeners took part in a historical walk through the heights of the MUCEM site in Marseille, which aims to promote Mediterranean heritage and culture.
Visits then focused on the naval dimension of the coastline, with a tour of the port of Marseille-Fos and the Toulon naval base, where they boarded the La Fayette-class frigate Guépratte for an overview of its capabilities. The auditors also visited two Naval Group sites, gaining an overview of the activities of this French flagship of the defence industry, from product design to maintenance. They then had the privilege of being received by the Southern GOZDS, General CA Pascal Faconat Château Saint-Victor.
The week ended in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance with a visit to ITER, an international civil nuclear fusion research reactor project. The 35 countries involved in this project make it a true symbol of international defence cooperation.
La 235e session brings together 35 listeners from a wide range of backgrounds.
The opening day took place at the IRA in Bastia, in the presence of the Chairman of the IRA. general Cyrille Youchtchenkodeputy to the general officer of the southern defence and security zone (OGZDS), and the Prefect Denis ConusDeputy Director of IHEDN.
During the first week in Bastia, the auditors had the opportunity to visit Solenzara air base 126. After a presentation of the air force and space by the base commander, they were given a tour of the base, Colonel Mathieu BernabeThe auditors then went to meet the 01.044 helicopter squadron and the protection squadron. They then travelled to Stella Mare (University of Corsica/CNRS), a marine and coastal ecological engineering research platform, a beacon for Corsica's "blue economy".
On 8 June, listeners headed for Calvi to meet the legionnaires of the 2e foreign parachute regiment (REP), where they saw combat demonstrations in urban areas. They also exchanged views with the legionnaires and heard feedback from 3 of the regiment's senior officers, including the corps commander, on their experience of operations abroad, Colonel Baptiste Thomas.
Finally, the audience took part in a memorial walk around the liberation of Corsica in 1943, at the Col de Teghime Memorial, before paying tribute to the Moroccan Tabors who took part, by laying a wreath at the Saint-Florent national necropolis.
The third week of the 235th session in Corsica, the final stage in the auditors' career, was held in Ajaccio.
Welcomed at the Aspretto naval base, the 35 auditors discovered the State's action at sea through demonstrations given by Customs, the SNSM, the Gendarmerie Maritime and the CROSS Corse. Each of these players presented their missions, the links between them and the coordination of the resources deployed.
The audience was then treated to a dynamic presentation by the internal security forces (PGHM, CRS, TIC, GOS, etc.), which concluded with a round table discussion bringing together various players from the police and the national gendarmerie to discuss public safety issues.
A 2nd round table was organised during the week, this time focusing on crisis management. Representatives from the Prefecture of South Corsica, SDIS 2A, CROSS Corse, the national gendarmerie and a local councillor spoke about the storm that hit Corsica on 18 August 2022.
Finally, the auditors travelled to Corte to visit the fire brigade training centre and the UIISC5 (fire brigade rescue unit), two places at the heart of the commitment to civil protection.
The session ended on 23 June at the Corsican regional prefecture. The 4 committees presented the conclusions of their work over the past 3 weeks to the authorities of the IHEDN and the southern defence and security zone. After a cocktail party in the gardens and the traditional speeches, the listeners of the 235th session in the Corsica region were presented with their auditor's certificates by the Amaury de Saint-QuentinPrefect of Corsica, sub-prefect Jean-Michel Delvert, representative of General Manager CA Benoît Durieux, Director of the IHEDN and the General Manager Pascal Facon, OGZDS-South.
