Drachenbronn Air Base

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Drachenbronn Air Base
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Base Aérienne 901 Drachenbronn
Part of Nancy – Ochey Air Base
Drachenbronn-Birlenbach, Bas-Rhin in France
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Drachenbronn Air Base
Coordinates 48°59′04″N07°50′01″E / 48.98444°N 7.83361°E / 48.98444; 7.83361 Coordinates: 48°59′04″N07°50′01″E / 48.98444°N 7.83361°E / 48.98444; 7.83361
Site information
Owner Government of France
Operator Armée de l'air et de l'espace
Site history
Built1952 (1952)

Drachenbronn Air Base (Base Aérienne 901 Drachenbronn) of the French Air and Space Force is located in the community of Drachenbronn-Birlenbach in the Bas-Rhin département. It houses the Centre de détection et de contrôle 05/901.

Contents

The base uses the underground facilities of the former Ouvrage Hochwald of the Maginot Line. Its mission is the surveillance of aviation movements in eastern France. Under budget cuts announced in October 2014 it will become an outstation of Nancy airbase. [1]

History

In 1946 the Air Force began studies for the creation of a radar station on top of the ouvrage. Construction began in 1952, and in 1955 major construction was undertaken in the ouvrage for a radar control room and operations center, which was placed in operation in 1957, originally designated Station Maître Radar 50/921. [2] The facility was briefly called Ouvrage H and was connected by data links to Ouvrage G at the Fort du Salbert near Belfort and Ouvrage F at Fort François de Guis at Metz. [3] In 1960 the facility was renamed Base Aérienne 901. In 1991 the base was named for Commandant de Laubier, a hero of the defense of Sedan in 1940.

The operations center was again renovated in 1964 to accommodate the VISU/STRIDA II system, and again in 1984 for the VISU/STRIDA IV system. [2] It was yet again renovated in 2007 with a new operations room. [4]

A three-dimensional radar was installed on the nearby Hochwald hill, which dominates the Alsace plain and the Rhine valley.

See also

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Ouvrage Lembach

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NATO Ouvrage "G"

From 1949 to March 10, 1967, France's military operated within the NATO command structure, integrating its air defense system with that of NATO through the indirect use of American aid funds. Between 1953 and 1958, the D.A.T. built a radar station in an old troops shelter near the fort, called Ouvrage "G". Called "Station Maître Radar 60/921", it was used beginning in 1959, covering an area on the surface of three times the area of the troops shelter.

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References

  1. "Défense : Le Drian détaille les 7 500 postes supprimés dans l'armée". 15 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Historique de la base". Base Aérienne 901 (in French). French Ministrybof Defense. 2 February 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  3. Brolli, Antoine (1987–1988). "L'ouvrage "G" de la D.A.T.". Bulletin de la société belfortaine d'émulation (in French) (79). ISSN   0242-5106.
  4. "Centre de Détection et de Contrôle - Historique". Base Aérienne 901 (in French). French Ministry of Defense. 3 September 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2010.