The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has entered into an agreement with Airbus Defence and Space, initiating a framework contract to provide training and education for all cybersecurity personnel within the Ministry of the Armed Forces, including cyber operatives in the military. The eight-year agreement, managed by Airbus Defence and Space alongside its partner Neverhack, includes the creation, development, and ongoing maintenance of training platforms, as well as delivering training programs and coaching services, including the design of realistic cyber defence operational scenarios.
A key focus is equipping the Cyber Defence Academy under the Cyber Defence Command (COMCYBER) in the Rennes region with a dedicated cyber defence training centre. This facility will support the preparation of cyber personnel through tailored courses for various cyber roles. The training initiatives aim to expand the number of cybersecurity professionals and enhance the armed forces’ cyber defence capabilities, operational readiness, and resilience.
The platforms will allow the simulation of cyber attack and defence exercises within military operations and in large-scale national or multinational drills such as Orion and DefNet. Training programs will address the full range of cyber threats, including malware, denial of service attacks, data breaches, information tampering, and influence operations such as misinformation on social media. To keep pace with evolving threats and technologies, Airbus will collaborate with startups and small businesses in areas like artificial intelligence.
The systems integrated into the platforms will recreate the operational environment of military networks and information systems, encompassing command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR), and weapons systems.
Each training scenario will combine IT infrastructure, advanced cyberattack simulations, physical environment factors, and ‘life simulations’ to enhance realism by including legitimate, accidental, or malicious user activities.
Airbus Defence and Space has been operating its CyberRange training platforms for nearly a decade, serving various government bodies and sensitive industry sectors. These platforms support training, exercises, competitions, and educational events such as ‘Passe ton Hack D’abord’, which engages thousands of students and pupils under the coordination of COMCYBER and the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, and Research.
Additionally, the CyberRange is deployed in over 25 partner educational institutions to support cybersecurity training and develop future specialists. Beyond training, Airbus Defence and Space also manages Security Operation Centres (SOCs) across mainland France for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, including Tactical SOCs dedicated to overseas missions (OPEX), ensuring the protection of military information and communication systems.
