{"id":697790,"date":"2026-01-15T14:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T14:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/697790\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T14:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T14:14:14","slug":"what-red-team-scenarios-reveal-about-frances-real-strategic-weaknesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/697790\/","title":{"rendered":"What Red Team scenarios reveal about France\u2019s real strategic weaknesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

As modern warfare becomes increasingly hybrid, combining cyberattacks and physical conflict, the French military has turned to a bold experiment known as the Red Team to help foresee the battles of tomorrow. So what can we expect from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Made up of science-fiction authors and writers working hand in hand with scientists and military experts, the Red Team\u2019s mission is to imagine threats that could one day put France and its national interests at risk. By harnessing creativity and imagination, the group aims to anticipate the technological, economic, social, and environmental forces that might trigger future conflicts<\/strong><\/a> in the decades ahead.<\/p>\n

To understand what this visionary project has uncovered, we spoke with Xavier Maum\u00e9jean\u2014writer, novelist, essayist, and member of the Red Team\u2014whose latest book La semaine des quatre jeudis was recently published by Alma.<\/p>\n

How the Red Team works<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Red Team\u2019s goal is to anticipate the conflicts of the future<\/strong>,\u201d explains Maum\u00e9jean. \u201cWe were divided into two groups, A and B. Team A created scenarios meant for public release, while screenwriter Xavier Dorison, writer Doa, and I formed Team B, which worked on classified defense<\/strong> studies. Because we weren\u2019t specialists, we could look at things differently\u2014connecting the dots the military provided us to spot potential crises.\u201d<\/p>\n

To refine their scenarios, the teams could consult experts in geopolitics, anthropology, and economics, as well as military tacticians for specific strategic insights.<\/p>\n

Which scenario seems closest to reality?<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our scenarios were published by Les \u00c9quateurs,\u201d says Maum\u00e9jean. \u201cAnything involving neuroscience is highly plausible, especially advances in human\u2013machine interfaces and the concept of the augmented soldier. Progress in this field brings undeniable benefits\u2014but also potential risks. Drones<\/a><\/strong> are another major concern; they\u2019ve completely reshaped the battlefield. And interestingly, there\u2019s also a move back to analog systems to avoid cyberattacks. What\u2019s often seen as a flaw in the Russian army\u2014their lack of digital modernization\u2014can actually be an advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The augmented soldier is a component of future conflicts. \u00a9 The Flares, YouTube<\/p>\n

Has the army already made adjustments?<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it has,\u201d he confirms. \u201cWe\u2019ve already seen shifts in the logistics chain, particularly in how certain materials are transported. There\u2019s also greater awareness around citizens becoming trapped in filter bubbles and the potential for manipulation\u2014a known issue, but one that\u2019s now getting more serious attention. We also highlighted the delay between on-the-ground information and the spread of disease during a biological attack. These are points the army is now working to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

When fiction meets military foresight<\/p>\n

Some Red Team scenarios, like Face \u00e0 l\u2019Hydre, may not seem directly tied to defense. In that one, a new instant-acquisition technology<\/a><\/strong> blurs the line between expert and non-expert. \u201cOne of the conditions for success,\u201d Maum\u00e9jean explains, \u201cwas to create new \u2018wirings.\u2019 In one study, we wanted to simulate an internal cyberattack within the army. We had the concept but not the means. By bringing in an anthropologist and a toxicologist, we found the solution. That\u2019s what makes this kind of creative toolbox so powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

Has the Red Team\u2019s work come to an end? Not quite. \u201cIt\u2019s already evolved,\u201d says Maum\u00e9jean. \u201cThe follow-up project, Operation Radar, resulted in a book published by Robert Laffont. This time, far more civilian figures were involved, including entrepreneurs. It\u2019s not exactly the same process, but the early Red Team missions paved the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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