France practices Rafale flights from civilian airport — AeroTime
During the BASEX exercise, the French Air and Space Force deployed three Rafale fighter jets to Pau-Pyrénées Airport and two CN235 transport aircraft to Dinard Airport. The exercise took place in France from September 23 to October 2, 2026, AeroTime reports.
Flights from civilian infrastructure
The deployment was carried out as part of FRA-ACE, the French adaptation of NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept. It involves operating aircraft from dispersed sites with minimal logistical support and using available local infrastructure.
Rafales from the 30th Fighter Wing arrived in Pau from Mont-de-Marsan Air Base along with about 25 service members, including pilots, mechanics and a security unit. The group was deliberately kept small to test FRA-ACE operations under reduced-resource conditions. The crews conducted training sorties, while the mobile SAMD support structure provided on-site mission planning and preparation.
The military tested the speed of redeploying combat aircraft from their permanent base and their ability to sustain flights from a temporary airfield.
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Training in Dinard
Two CN235 aircraft from the 64th Transport Wing arrived at Dinard Airport from Évreux, along with about 30 service members. The unit reduced logistical support to a minimum and, in particular, used the airport’s capabilities to refuel the aircraft.
The CN235 crews also conducted training flights, explosive ordnance disposal exercises and joint training with airport fire and rescue services. The French Air and Space Force said it coordinated both deployments with airport administrations and operators to avoid disrupting normal airport operations and commercial activity.
Previous deployments
This is the second consecutive year that the French military has carried out such deployments at the country’s civilian airports. In September 2025, three Mirage 2000D aircraft operated from Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport. In spring 2026, two A400M aircraft were deployed to Châteauroux, while two Mirage 2000-5 aircraft were deployed to Dole-Jura Airport.
