French authorities have opened a judicial investigation after unauthorized drones were detected near and over military sites around Toulon, home to France’s main naval base, during a major joint military exercise held from October 5 to 16, 2026.
In a statement on October 21, 2026, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture declared that the drones had entered the no-fly zone covering Toulon. Counter-drone systems were activated in response to each detection, in coordination with France’s internal security forces.
The prefecture noted that no sensitive infrastructure had been threatened. It did not specify how many drones had been involved, which sites were affected, or whether any had been intercepted. The origin of the flights remains unknown.
Drones detected during military base protection exercise
The detections occurred during Typhon, a large-scale joint exercise held between October 5 and 16, 2026, designed to train military and internal security forces to protect installations in and around Toulon’s harbor.
Led by Vice Admiral Laurent Hermann, commander-in-chief for the Mediterranean, the exercise involved land, air, and maritime operations, including military drone flights, across Toulon and ten neighboring municipalities. Activity was scheduled to intensify between October 13 and 15, 2026.
Established under an order on September 20, 2017, the permanent LF-P 62 prohibited airspace covers much of the Toulon area. It extends from the surface to flight level 195, approximately 5,943 meters (19,500 feet), and is active around the clock, with entry permitted only under specified conditions.
The Toulon exercise followed another French military drill focused on protecting installations against emerging threats. During BASEX, held nationwide from September 23 to October 2, 2026, the French Air and Space Force simulated multiple attacks against its bases, including a drone-delivered chemical attack at Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur Air Base.
BASEX also tested the dispersal of Rafale fighters and CN235 transport aircraft to civilian airports, allowing operations to continue if their permanent bases were threatened.
French naval facilities and warships face recurring drone incursions
Unauthorized drone activity near Toulon is not unprecedented. On March 24, 2026, a drone was detected near the naval base at Quai Cronstadt. Maritime gendarmes detained its operator and the naval base filed a complaint, according to a prefecture statement issued two days later.
Other recent drone incidents have involved French naval assets, both at home and abroad. On December 4, 2025, unidentified drones were reported over Île Longue naval base in Brittany, home to France’s ballistic-missile submarines.
In February 2026, Swedish forces neutralized a drone near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during a port visit to Malmö. The Swedish Armed Forces subsequently confirmed that the drone had been launched from the Russian signals intelligence ship Zhigulevsk, which was transiting the Öresund Strait.
The French Ministry of the Armed Forces reiterated that unauthorized drone flights near or over military installations are prohibited and can result in prosecution.