French military open fire on drones flying over nuclear submarine base

French Navy personnel opened fire on drones on Thursday 4 December over the area where France's nuclear submarines are stationed.

As reported by Le Monde, five drones were spotted on Thursday evening above the Île Longue submarine base in Brittany, western France, according to the gendarmerie.

This is a strategic military site housing submarines armed with ballistic missiles. Drone flights are prohibited in this zone.

A counter-drone system was deployed, and search operations were launched. Service personnel responsible for securing the base fired several shots on the drones. It is not known whether any of them were brought down.

The Île Longue base provides technical maintenance for four French nuclear ballistic-missile submarines, at least one of which is permanently at sea to maintain nuclear deterrence.

According to French media, drones had already been observed in the area last month, although not directly over the base.

The incident follows a series of recent drone incursions into NATO airspace, with unmanned aerial vehicles flying in recent months around key military sites and civilian infrastructure across Europe, particularly in Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Norway.

German authorities have repeatedly warned that drones pose a security threat after a series of incursions near airports and military facilities this year.

The German government has approved amendments to the Federal Police Act to enable police to counter drones more effectively.