Unauthorized drones flew over military sites near Toulon during exercises

Unauthorized drones were detected over military sites in the Toulon region of southern France in early October.

The sites included Toulon’s naval base, a defence procurement agency site in the city and an artillery regiment in nearby Hyères.

The flights took place during Typhon, a major joint military exercise held from 5 to 16 October.

The Navy said security measures, including anti-drone systems, were activated with help from domestic security forces.

No drones were recovered, so authorities have not established how many there were or what models they were.

The Navy said no sensitive infrastructure was threatened, but the flights raised concerns about security around military facilities.

A military prosecutor in Marseille is investigating the incidents.