Over a four-week period, auditors from the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale visited the cities of Le Mans, Angers, Laval and Nantes, exploring crucial issues such as cyber security, information warfare, space strategy, nuclear deterrence and civil security tools. This complete immersion was built around field visits, high-level conferences and committee work, giving participants an in-depth understanding of contemporary issues.
On 11 February, the session began with a visit to the Atlantic shipyards, where the auditors learned about current projects, in particular the construction of the Jacques Stosskopf force replenishment ship. They were then welcomed to the gendarmerie headquarters in Nantes by Major General Laurent Le Gentil, and were able to discover various units and services, such as the operations and intelligence centre (COR), the dog-handling unit, the gendarmerie surveillance and intervention unit (PSIG), the criminal investigation section and the river brigade.
The audience also took part in a series of lectures on major geopolitical issues. Axelle Degans, a geopolitics teacher in preparatory classes, spoke about the challenges posed by China, while César Boyer, head of the systemic risk analysis department at ARCOM, discussed the fight against online disinformation. Captain Rémi de Monteville, Commander of the French Navy in Nantes, presented the challenges facing the French Navy, while Laure Schiettecatte, a professor at Sciences Po Rennes, explored the issue of the sovereignty of the Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB). Finally, Hervé Tourmente, Delegate Prefect for Defence and Security in the Western Zone, shed light on the specific features and challenges of the Pays de la Loire region.
The course ended with a closing ceremony in the lounges of the Pays de la Loire regional prefecture, attended by local and military authorities, including Lieutenant General Patrik Steiger, General Officer of the Western Defence and Security Zone, Eric de Wispelaere, sub-prefect of Saint-Nazaire and representative of the regional prefect, Jean-Michel Delvert, sub-prefect and head of the regional and specialised activities department at the IHEDN, as well as General (2S) Eric Cotard, session director, and General (2S) Hugues de Roquemaurel, educational referent at the IHEDN.
This session was marked by a strong mobilisation of the prefectural corps. The auditors were received by the three other departmental prefects and met with the delegate prefect for the defence zone, who spoke about the specific challenges facing this defence and security zone. In addition, the involvement of the general officer of the western defence and security zone and his team was particularly noteworthy.
At the ceremony, Lieutenant General Hervé de Courrèges, Director of the IHEDN, paid tribute to the commitment and work accomplished by the auditors.
Not only has this training strengthened cooperation between civilians and the military, it has also offered concrete prospects for meeting the challenges of tomorrow
Discover here upcoming regional sessions.
