Overview
- Five drones were detected over the Île Longue submarine base in Brittany on the evening of December 4, according to the gendarmerie via AFP.
- Naval security personnel opened fire under counter-drone procedures, and authorities have not stated whether any drones were neutralized.
- The base near Brest hosts France’s Triomphant-class ballistic-missile submarines, which underpin the country’s sea-based nuclear deterrent.
- France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces is examining the incident, and search efforts were launched for possible debris following the response.
- The overflight fits a broader pattern of drone incursions near sensitive European sites, including a September case in Poland where fighter jets shot down drones.