The French Marina shot down several drones last night flying over the strategic Ile Longue base in Finistre (Brittana). It is one of the most sensitive enclaves for the country’s defense, as well as for Europe, where there are nuclear-powered submarines capable of carrying atomic missiles. This area is highly protected, monitored by gendarmes and military personnel from the French marina.
Although the presence of unidentified drones has increased in recent months in places such as airports or military installations in several European countries, this is the first time this has happened at this strategic French military base. France is the only country in the European Union that possesses a nuclear arsenal. He also had a United Kingdom, and was a Unionist.
According to Agence France-Presse, at 19.30 July, the presence of five drones was detected around the Breton base, as confirmed by the Gendarmerie. They were able to see quickly thanks to the good viewing conditions that existed during the full moon. The bombs were dropped by the battalion charged with protecting the area.
The French authorities announced this coming that they would open an investigation. The Maritime Province of Atlantico stated that “sensitive infrastructure has not been mitigated.” “You are very willing to identify” the source of the drones, referring to the mayor’s spokesman, Guillaume Le Rasly, who believes the goal was “to alarm the population.”
During the night of November 17 to 18, several devices were detected flying over the Crozon Peninsula, adjacent to the Ile Long submarine base, where M51 missiles are located, but without nuclear warheads.
The last time unidentified drones were detected on Ile Long Island was in 2015, prompting a state of alert. Neither the security of the island nor the nuclear submarines were threatened.
In this military enclave, located near the port of Brest, there are four nuclear-powered submarines capable of carrying atomic missiles (SNLE, in its French acronym). There is one permanently at sea. Each submarine can carry up to 16 M51 strategic missiles, each carrying several nuclear warheads.
In 1965, General Charles de Gaulle decided to turn this area into a French military deterrent base, as well as a safe and controllable area, but sufficiently isolated from the seaport of Brest in the event of an accident. The first submarines entered the base in 1970.
In the context of global rearmament and before the Russian threat, Francia announced a few months ago that it would equip these devices with the latest generation of ballistic missiles, the M51.3, manufactured by ArianneGroup. These new missiles have a greater range. France is the fourth world power to possess a nuclear arsenal, even after Russia, the United States or China, in terms of the number of operational warheads.
Francia suspects that Russia is behind the presence of the drones, something Moscow denies. The government is preparing a plan to better equip these highly sensitive places, and dozens of enclaves have been discovered that urgently need protection. French President Emmanuel Macron believes that the Russian war in Ukraine will spread to Europe at some point, and seeks to strengthen the country militarily, on the ground with weapons and soldiers. In this sense, he announced a few weeks ago the launch of voluntary military service in the country, to expand the French military reserve.