Security - Defense
As a result of global strategic competition, security and defense issues are marked by the return of major wars and nuclear deterrence, the transformation of terrorism and the race for military technologies.
Related Subjects
"The US’s Trojan horse in Europe": Rheinmetall, the German defence giant with an insatiable appetite
Top secret. Land, sea, air and even space… Armin Papperger, the very powerful head of the German defence group, has grand ambitions—to the point of irritating France.
Europe Express: Macron and Merz move on from fighter jet heartbreak
The threat of a Le Pen presidency has provided an incentive for Paris and Berlin to come together.
Japan and Nuclear Weapons: Between Extended Deterrence and Normative Dilemmas
Since the late 1950s, Japan’s nuclear weapons policy has been based on the coexistence of two competing normative rationales: the rejection of nuclear weapons, rooted in the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the recognition of the central role of US extended nuclear deterrence for Japan’s security.
France and Germany seek to showcase military cooperation after FCAS collapse
President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz were to hold a joint defense council and the traditional French-German Council of Ministers on Friday in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Taking the Pulse: Enough with the Annual NATO Summits, Already?
Over the past ten years, NATO has held almost as many summits as it did during the entirety of the Cold War. Are they still useful, or is it time to stop holding annual meetings?
How does France’s nuclear deterrent contribute to the defense of Europe?
France’s nuclear deterrent, serving first and foremost to defend France’s vital interests, also contributes to the defense of Europe. This contribution has been recognized within the North Atlantic Alliance since 1974, but remains little known. In a speech closely followed by France’s European partners and its adversaries alike, President Emmanuel Macron announced a new concept for French nuclear deterrence: “forward deterrence” (dissuasion avancée). This article aims to explain the origins of this concept, outline its main pillars, and describe the partnerships that are sought. It then discusses the relationship with the U.S. doctrine of “extended deterrence”, and finally offers some ethical considerations.
Japan’s Defense Industry Goes Global: Ambitions and Challenges
Can Global Governance Be Rebuilt? Japan's Role Seen Key
The Shared Future of Asia and Japan.
Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power
How is Europe navigating China’s ascension as a technological power? The latest report by the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) provides a nuanced account of a converging, yet still fragmented approach across 22 countries.
Stability under Pressure. A Pakistani View on Nuclear Deterrence after Pahalgam
The May 2025 India-Pakistan crisis after the Pahalgam attack has generated a familiar but incomplete debate: did nuclear deterrence work, or did it merely allow both sides to fight a limited war under the nuclear shadow? The better answer is that deterrence worked at the level at which it was designed to work. It prevented a general war and an uncontrolled vertical escalation, and kept nuclear weapons in the background. But it did not prevent India from attempting to carve out space for conventional action, nor did it prevent Pakistan from responding conventionally to restore deterrence credibility.
Framework Nation: A European Challenge and French Ambition
First appearing in the early 2000s, the framework nation concept follows several distinct rationales, whether it refers to a country assuming the leadership of a military operation, directing a multinational capability project, or commanding a permanent force structure. In every case, the country that takes on this role fully intends to derive from it additional politico-military influence.
FCAS project failure: 'France, Germany characterised by totally different strategic cultures'
France and Germany said on Monday they had agreed to abandon a joint fighter jet programme due to disagreements between the companies involved, in a blow to European efforts to boost defence cooperation.
Strategic Shift in NATO’s Support for Ukraine. A Study of NSATU and PURL Initiatives
France opens Space Command to Japanese officer as ties deepen under new road map — "A key aim [of France-Japan defense cooperation] is to reduce critical vulnerabilities as well as to strengthen sovereign capabilities and reduce reliance on U.S.-provided data. New opportunities are emerging in advanced technologies, including AI-enabled systems, autonomous platforms and space applications."
quoted by Gabriel Dominguez in the Japan Times
War and Technology: An Approaching Military Revolution?
Historically, technological change has altered how battles are fought but has not overturned the fundamental principles of war. However, three considerations may now represent an actual revolution: the recourse to tactical nuclear weapons, the development of software for “multi-domain operations,” and the prospect of general artificial intelligence. The organization of militaries and the use of force need to be rethought in this light.
War and Technology: An Approaching Military Revolution?
Historically, technological change has altered how battles are fought but has not overturned the fundamental principles of war. However, three considerations may now represent an actual revolution: the recourse to tactical nuclear weapons, the development of software for “multi-domain operations,” and the prospect of general artificial intelligence. The organization of militaries and the use of force need to be rethought in this light.
The Crises Testing Arms Control
The arms control system built during and after the Cold War is under enormous stress and is fraying at the edges. It once enabled significant improvements in international security but is in danger of not withstanding the resurgence of tensions in recent years. Urgent action is now needed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as cluster bombs and anti-personnel mines.
Overwhelmed: Germany’s Israel Policy after October 7th
Few countries have been as profoundly affected by the attacks of October 7th and the subsequent Gaza war as Germany. This is not merely a political controversy. It reflects a deeper structural problem: German-Israel policy has long rested on two guiding principles—a particular historical responsibility toward Israel derived from the Holocaust, and a firm commitment to universalist norms, above all international law and human rights.
French Forward Deterrence: What Is in It for the Baltic States?
For what may be its most significant stress test since the end of the Cold War, European deterrence is under strain. Russia’s war against Ukraine has demonstrated Moscow’s willingness to use force and its ability to combine conventional operations with nuclear signalling, coercive rhetoric, and hybrid actions. At the same time, the gradual deterioration of transatlantic relations has revived concerns about the reliability of extended deterrence.
Fury from the Skies. A Strategic Analysis of Air Campaign against Iran
What is the outcome of Operations Roaring Lion (RL) and Epic Fury (EF), launched by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28, 2026?
Silicon Valley and War: Lessons from Ukraine
Over the course of international conflicts, and particularly in Ukraine, major tech companies have emerged as central actors. Initially subject to wartime maneuvering, they have since become decisive actors in their own right, privatizing a significant share of wartime exchanges, shaping the information flows of societies, and presenting themselves as providers of security. This situation raises important questions about states’ autonomy in making decisions and taking action.
On (New) War
Are the new dynamics of power assertion, the redistribution of influence, and the emergence of new technologies changing both the place of war in the everyday life of our societies and the way war is waged when it occurs? Does the obsession with conflict, combined with technical efficiency, impose upon us a state of permanent latent war? And when weapons speak, does the involvement of modern technologies and the companies that produce them revolutionize both the political decision-making process and the way people are engaged in war? These are fundamental questions raised by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and they are already shaping current thinking on military strategy and organization.
The War on Terrorism: Global Experts Reflect on Lessons Learned Twenty-Five Years After 9/11
Twenty-five years ago, the September 11 attacks prompted the invention of new security architectures that shaped the war on terrorism. Sixteen think tank experts from fifteen countries reflect on the successes, failures, and missed opportunities in the fight against terrorism—a fight that is still ongoing.
Does Artificial Intelligence Change the Nature of War?
From Gaza to Ukraine and Iran, current conflicts are being shaped by the arrival of artificial intelligence and robots on the battlefield. The changes under way are so profound that humans risk rapidly losing control over entire aspects of the conduct of military operations. While these technological developments are altering the character of war, their impact on the very nature of war itself remains a matter of debate.
From Corsairs to Private Military Contractors. Nonmilitary Maritime Actors and the Historical Continuities of Naval Warfare
Since late 2023, several Houthi attacks on commercial shipping have involved privately contracted armed teams conducting defensive engagements and coordinating immediate response efforts, often in the relative absence of regular naval forces during the immediate hostilities at sea. These cases highlight a strategic tension that increasingly confronts modern navies. On the one hand, they are expected to conduct persistent, low-intensity maritime security tasks such as counterpiracy, maritime policing, and the protection of commercial shipping. On the other hand, they face renewed pressure to prepare for high-intensity conflict against peer and near-peer adversaries amid the return of great power competition.
Japan and Nuclear Weapons: Between Extended Deterrence and Normative Dilemmas
Since the late 1950s, Japan’s nuclear weapons policy has been based on the coexistence of two competing normative rationales: the rejection of nuclear weapons, rooted in the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the recognition of the central role of US extended nuclear deterrence for Japan’s security.
Taking the Pulse: Enough with the Annual NATO Summits, Already?
Over the past ten years, NATO has held almost as many summits as it did during the entirety of the Cold War. Are they still useful, or is it time to stop holding annual meetings?
How does France’s nuclear deterrent contribute to the defense of Europe?
France’s nuclear deterrent, serving first and foremost to defend France’s vital interests, also contributes to the defense of Europe. This contribution has been recognized within the North Atlantic Alliance since 1974, but remains little known. In a speech closely followed by France’s European partners and its adversaries alike, President Emmanuel Macron announced a new concept for French nuclear deterrence: “forward deterrence” (dissuasion avancée). This article aims to explain the origins of this concept, outline its main pillars, and describe the partnerships that are sought. It then discusses the relationship with the U.S. doctrine of “extended deterrence”, and finally offers some ethical considerations.
Japan’s Defense Industry Goes Global: Ambitions and Challenges
Fragmented Europe: Dealing with China as a technology and innovation power
How is Europe navigating China’s ascension as a technological power? The latest report by the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) provides a nuanced account of a converging, yet still fragmented approach across 22 countries.
A conversation with Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates
In an exceptional debate with Thierry de Montbrial, Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates shares his perspective on the ongoing war with Iran in the Middle East.
US hosts rare Israel-Lebanon talks, progress unclear
Israel and Lebanon agreed to direct negotiations following talks in Washington on Tuesday.
Replay - Conference with Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Norway has become the European Union’s leading supplier of gas. This position could be further strengthened given the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Both sides of the Atlantic | Warsaw European Conversation 2026
This episode discusses the future of transatlantic relations and the evolution of security policy on both sides of the Atlantic. It examines France’s strategic stance and the implications of potential leadership change. It also looks at the dynamics of U.S. domestic politics – the role of political parties and civil society in curbing Donald Trump’s power, and the significance of the midterm elections. It considers what these processes mean for Europe, especially in the context of Article 5. Joining Marta Prochwicz-Jazowska, Deputy Head of the ECFR Warsaw office, in the discussion will be Thomas Gomart, director of the French Institute of International Relations, and Amanda Sloat, professor at the School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs at IE University.
Japan seeks French backing as Macron begins Asia trip in Iran war’s shadow
Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo on Tuesday with a packed agenda and a receptive audience in a Japanese government anxious about a choked oil route and looking for support amid its diplomatic falling-out with Beijing.
War in Mideast Tests Europe’s Military Might. The Verdict? Mixed.
To defend allies from Iran, the continent’s powers have mounted a rare show of force. But those efforts have diverted limited resources from other hot spots. Despite refusing to join the attacks on Iran, Europe’s leaders have responded to the widening war in the Middle East by sending warships, fighter jets and air-defense systems to protect bases and allies in the region.
Replay - Conference with Chris Wright, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
Welcomed at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), Chris Wright outlined his vision of American energy policy built around two core axes: the human reality of energy access, and a data-driven approach. For the Secretary, energy is the foundation of prosperity, health, and longer life expectancy on a global scale. His doctrine rests on an ambition of American "energy dominance" — not merely independence, but the capacity to produce at scale in order to lower domestic costs, reindustrialize the country, and support U.S. allies.
Nuke-talk is heating up among Europeans in Munich
Multiple European countries are publicly backing talks on a homegrown nuclear deterrent to complement American atomic weapons following an erosion of trust in a Donald Trump-led U.S.
Build and Maintain Air-Sea Superiority in a Contested Operational Environment – CNP 26
An exceptional opening roundtable at the 2026 Paris Naval Conference, bringing together the Chiefs of Naval Staff of the French, U.S., British, Italian and Dutch navies.
'Russia holds a decisive edge in terms of manpower, firepower and mobilization capacity'
Three researchers at the French Institute of International Relations, Dimitri Minic, Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean and Paul Maurice, are urging Europe to intensify its power dynamic with Moscow. The French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) published a report on Tuesday, November 4, that highlights Europe's vulnerabilities in the event of a high-intensity conflict with Russia.
Replay - European Security: Perspectives from Latvia. Debate with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Sprūds
How should European security be approached in the face of the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine? Replay of the conference European Security: Perspectives From Latvia. Debate with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Sprūds.
Arctic: A New Era of Geopolitical Tensions? The Alert from the Norwegian Intelligence Director
An interview with Nils-Andreas Stensønes, Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, conducted by Daphné Benoit, Head of international affairs, AFP, on the occasion of Ifri's conference "New geopolitical realities of the Arctic", 19 March 2025.
(Replay) US-China-Taiwan Relations: What to expect in the Trump II Era?
Replay of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies' conference "US-China-Taiwan Relations: What to expect in the Trump II era?", held at Ifri on Tuesday 11 March 2025.
Better know a nuke: France
In this episode of The Arms Control Poseur, host Dr Alexander Bollfrass is joined by nuclear policy experts Héloïse Fayet, Emmanuelle Maitre and Dr Liviu Horovitz to discuss the history and the current trajectory of France's nuclear arsenal.
Naval Power and Maritime Economy: Rear Admiral Søren Kjeldsen, Chief of the Royal Danish Navy
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Rear Admiral Søren Kjeldsen, Chief of the Royal Danish Navy, shares insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
Naval Power and Maritime Economy: an interview with Admiral Nicolas Vaujour (Chief of Staff of the French Navy)
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the French Navy share insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
How do maritime companies cooperate with the navies? An interview with Evan FUERY, EQUINOR
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Evan FUERY, Senior Vice-President for Corporate Security and Crisis Management, EQUINOR, shares insights on how maritime companies collaborate with the navies to secure maritime economy.
Replay - Paris Naval Conference 2025: Naval Power in support of Maritime Economy
Replay of the third edition of the Paris Naval Conference (CNP), bringing together high-level speakers from the military, industry and academia, for the aim of addressing the issues of securing the maritime economy for the world's navies.
Naval Power and Maritime Economy: Rear Admiral Olivier Berdal, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Rear Admiral Olivier Berdal, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy, shares insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
Naval Power and Maritime Economy: an interview with Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy, shares insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
How do maritime companies cooperate with the navies? An interview with Christine Cabau (CMA-CGM)
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Christine Cabau, Executive Vice-President in Charge of Assets and Operations, CMA-CGM, shares insights on how maritime companies collaborate with the navies to secure maritime economy.
Naval Power in Support of Maritime Economy: An Interview with Vice-Admiral Jeffrey Anderson (U.S. Navy)
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy, Vice-Admiral Jeffrey Anderson, Commander of the 6th Fleet, U.S. Navy, and Commander of the Striking and Support Forces NATO, share insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
How do maritime companies cooperate with the navies? An interview with Simon Bergulf, MÆRSK
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Simon BERGULF, Group Representative Europe Public and Regulatory Affairs, Head of Energy transition and Operations, Maersk, shares insights on how maritime companies collaborate with the navies to secure maritime economy.
Replay - Affirming European security in times of uncertainty: Poland’s priorities for its Presidency
Poland will assume the presidency of the Council of the EU throughout the first semester of 2025, when geopolitical tensions are likely to peak. Watch the replay of the videoconference "Affirming European security in times of uncertainty. Poland’s priorities of its presidency of the Council".
War and Peace in the Middle East: What Role for the Europeans? (World Policy Conference 2024)
Saturday, December 14, 2024 - 17th edition of the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Plenary session 19: War and Peace in the Middle East: What Role for the Europeans?
NATO: 75 Years of Strategic Solidarity (replay)
The war in Ukraine, burden-sharing between Allies, U.S. disengagement from Europe, new areas of conflict... At a time when the Alliance has just celebrated its 75th anniversary and the Stoltenberg era is drawing to a close after ten years at the head of the organization, NATO's agenda bears witness to the diversity of its areas of action, as well as to the different perceptions of the Allies on these issues.
In the wake of the Washington summit, this conference of diplomats, military officers and researchers aims to analyze the short- and medium-term prospects for the Atlantic Alliance.
Interview with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee
Can you describe the humanitarian impact of the war in Ukraine, in Europe, including with regards to displacement, and beyond the outside of Europe?
Where is the U.S. nuclear arsenal headed?
An interview with Jon WOLFSTHAL, nonresident scholar, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Cooperation Despite Frictions in Northeast Asia
Cooperation Despite Frictions in Northeast Asia
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2026, Ifri partners with over 90 French and international companies and organizations.
The European & Transatlantic Security Program aims to contribute to the strategic debate by developing analyses around three main axes: European defense and the security architecture of the European continent, institutional and strategic links between the Treaty Organization of North Atlantic (NATO) and the European Union (EU), as well as the evolution of the transatlantic relationship.
The distinction between internal and external threats is often exaggerated, as the borders are so porous. Conflicts taking place thousands of kilometers from France can have tragic resonances on national territory. Radicalization, terrorism and even organized crime have an international dimension that cannot be ignored.
The conflicts in Europe, Asia and the Middle East demonstrate a return of nuclear power to the balance of power. Arsenals are being modernized and expanded, while arms control is collapsing. This research program aims to analyze these phenomena.
The Observatory of Future Conflicts is a research program carried out by the French Institute of International Relations and the Foundation for Strategic Research on behalf of the three army headquarters aimed at studying developments in tensions and armaments at the horizon 2040 in a transversal perspective, taking into account the issues of each army.
Heir to a tradition dating back to the founding of Ifri, the Security Studies Center provides public and private decision-makers as well as the general public with the keys to understanding power relations and contemporary modes of conflict as well as those to come. Through its positioning at the juncture of politics and operations, the credibility of its civil-military team and the wide distribution of its publications in French and English, the Center for Security Studies constitutes in the French landscape of think tanks a unique center of research and influence on the national and international defense debate.
The Defense Research Unit is a program that aims at stimulating the strategic debate by dealing with subjects at the junction of the “technico-operational” and the “political-strategic”. A unique structure in France, it brings together civilian researchers and “military fellows” from each of the three armies to produce work on defense policies, the capability and strategic adaptation of armies, and foresight on tomorrow's conflicts.