At least five drones flew over the Ile Longue base on Thursday, located in the French province of Finistère, which provides maintenance for the French Navy’s four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), local French authorities reported.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office in Rennes opened an investigation after discovering five apparently “unarmed” drones flying over the perimeter of the base, near the port of Brest, in the Brittany region, BFMTV reported.
The Marine battalion responsible for protecting the base – where approximately 2,400 people, both military and civilian, work – launched an anti-drone operation and a search operation after discovering the presence of these devices.
The base, France’s main bastion of nuclear deterrence, has easy access to the Atlantic Ocean and began operating in 1972. France also has five nuclear attack submarines, and its operational base is located in the military port of Toulon (VAR).
Several European countries have strengthened their air defenses in recent months after the discovery of drones over critical infrastructure, which has raised tensions with Russia, a country it points to as being primarily responsible for these actions in the context of the war in Ukraine.