French defense officials have opened a military investigation after five unidentified drones were intercepted on Thursday evening over Île Longue. This tightly guarded base hosts France’s four ballistic missile submarines in the roadstead of Brest. According to initial reports by Le Monde and statements relayed by the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture and the Rennes military prosecutor, base security sensors detected multiple aircraft inside the prohibited airspace around 19:30 local time, prompting the rapid activation of counter-drone procedures. Authorities say the drones were neutralized using electronic jamming in line with protocols for nuclear sites, although some early accounts also mentioned small-arms fire, and investigators have not yet recovered any debris or identified the operators. Read more.
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| The Île Longue submarine base in Brittany, France, where nuclear ballistic missile submarines such as Le Vigilant are located (Picture source: Google Maps/Wikimedia) |