Over the course of the week, listeners to the SNC major in the national session discovered the innovative initiatives that have made Brittany a key centre for cybersecurity. Indeed, the region is positioning itself as a strategic and innovative pillar in this field, thanks to its cutting-edge research centres and its dynamic ecosystem of companies and dedicated institutions.
The programme included an immersion in the exceptional expertise of the Cyber Defence Command (COMCYBER) teams, the Directorate General of Armaments - Information Management, the Ministerial Agency for Artificial Intelligence in Defence (AMIAD) and the Cyber Centre of Excellence. These visits and meetings enabled the auditors to delve into the heart of high-level expertise in the field of cybersecurity, to deepen their knowledge of the challenges linked to quantum and post-quantum technologies, parasitic electromagnetic radiation and the fight against information technology (L2I) and offensive information technology (LIO). These issues are crucial to the digital transformation of the French armed forces and their ability to conduct military and civilian operations in an increasingly complex digital environment. This is an opportunity to discover high-level expertise and to exchange views with the academic-industrial-political trio who run Brittany's cyber centre of excellence, a unique model in France and Europe.
In a region representing 20% of the national territory, the listeners were also able to address the issues of territorial defence and the link between the armed forces and the nation. Lieutenant General Patrick Steiger, General Officer of the Western Defence and Security Zone and Commander of the North-West Land Zone, presented the geographical and geostrategic reality and shared his vision of the specific challenges faced by Brittany, underlining its strategic role in the national security system.
The training then continued in Brest, where participants explored the challenges of government action at sea, particularly those relating to the Atlantic zone. The digital transformation of the French Navy, in particular the use of data and artificial intelligence in the planning and conduct of operations, was highlighted, with a warm welcome from Vice-Admiral Jean-François Quérat, Maritime Prefect for the Atlantic, Commander of the Atlantic maritime zone and district and representative of the State at sea, and his teams, as well as the Mine Warfare flotilla and the crew of the multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Auvergne.
It was an intense but fascinating week, which gave the students in the SNC major a better understanding of Brittany's strategic role in cybersecurity and the importance of collaboration between military, industrial and academic players to meet the challenges of digital sovereignty.
