Overview
- At least five unmanned aircraft were detected around 18:30 GMT on Dec. 4 over Île Longue, triggering immediate counter-drone procedures.
- Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin praised base personnel for intercepting the overflight, and a judicial investigation was opened by the military prosecutor in Rennes.
- Prosecutors said jamming, not firearms, was used against the devices and that no drones were brought down or recovered, countering earlier reports of gunfire.
- Officials said sensitive infrastructure was not threatened, and the origin, type, and operators of the drones remain unconfirmed.
- The episode tracks with a wave of unexplained drone incursions over European airports and military sites that some leaders describe as hybrid tactics, though no attribution has been made in this case.