The French Navy has said unauthorised drones were detected near and above military sites around Toulon during Exercise Typhon, a joint service harbour defence exercise held from October 5 to 16.
The navy's Mediterranean Zone Command issued a statement on Wednesday, October 21, saying that the drones were detected inside the prohibited-flight zone.
For each occurrence, the planned security measures were activated, including counter-drone systems, in coordination with France's internal security forces.
The navy said no sensitive infrastructure had been threatened and that a judicial investigation had been opened. It added that unauthorised drone flights near or above military installations are strictly prohibited and that offenders face judicial proceedings.
Local broadcaster ICI Provence reported that the overflights took place at night between October 9 and 13. According to the broadcaster, the drones flew over the Toulon naval base, the Direction Générale de l'Armement, site in Toulon and the 54th Artillery Regiment in Hyères.
It said the maritime prefecture confirmed that the aircraft were separate from the drones taking part in the exercise.
The station also reported that electromagnetic jamming equipment was used. No aircraft was recovered, and the number and models of the drones had not been determined.
An unnamed source told the broadcaster that, "there were several of them each time, and they were large aircraft."
The Marseille military prosecutor's office is overseeing the investigation.
The navy's regional command declined to comment to AFP on the number of incidents, the nature of the drones, or whether any had been neutralised.
Typhon was led by Vice Admiral Laurent Hermann, commander-in-chief for the Mediterranean. The exercise trained forces to protect military installations in and around Toulon harbour.
It combined land, air and maritime manoeuvres, including the use of drones, across 11 municipalities. Aerial activity in restricted zone LF-P62 remained prohibited throughout, except for military flights and civil protection emergencies.
