Nice Air Base (''Base Aérienne 943 Nice "Capitaine Auber"'') of the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
is divided between two sites: one at the summit of
Mont Agel
Mont Agel is a mountain in the Maritime Alps on the border between France and Monaco. The summit of this mount, at above sea level, is on the French side, but the highpoint of Monaco, lying on a pathway named Chemin des Révoires, is on its slo ...
near
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionAlpes-Maritimes département, and the other at Gardanne barracks in
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (; or ; ; ), simply Roquebrune until 1921, is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region, Southeastern France, betw ...
. The Mont Agel base uses the facilities of the former
Ouvrage Mont Agel
Ouvrage Mont Agel is a work (''gros ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the Little Maginot Line. The 1930s ''ouvrage'' was built in and around the earlier mountaintop Fortress of Mont Agel. The ''ouv ...
of the
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line () or Little Maginot Line (French: ''Petite Ligne Maginot'') was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France. In contrast to the main line in the northeastern portion of France, the Alpine Line ...
. Its mission is the surveillance of aviation movements in southeastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, operating as ''Centre de Détection et de Contrôle'' (CDC) 05.943, tactical call sign “Rhodia radar”. A similar facility is located at Drachenbronn Air Base in northeastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The Gardanne base houses administrative functions and personnel housing in a former ''Chasseur Alpins'' barracks.
BA943 is responsible for the identification of all aircraft in its zone of responsibility, and for the coordination of military air traffic in the southeastern airspace of France. The facility has the capacity to interact with E-3F and E-2C airborne control aircraft. It is equipped with a 23 cm two-dimensional search radar and a three-dimensional "PALMIER" radar on the site. Data is integrated by a VISU IV system.
See also
*
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line () or Little Maginot Line (French: ''Petite Ligne Maginot'') was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France. In contrast to the main line in the northeastern portion of France, the Alpine Line ...
*
French air defense radar systems
The French air defence organisation is integrated in the military Armée de l’Air (ALA), the French Air Force.
The defence of the French national airspace has always been based on 2 main aspects:
* the peacetime security of the French airspa ...