Taverny Air Base
| Taverny Air Base | |
|---|---|
| Base Aérienne 921 "Frères Mahé" de Taverny | |
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| Country | France |
| Branch | Armee De'l'Air |
Taverny Air Base (formerly Base Aérienne 921 "Frères Mahé" de Taverny) (ICAO: LFPJ) is located in the communities of Taverny and Bessancourt in the Val d'Oise département of France, twenty kilometers north of Paris. Until 2011 it was the headquarters of the French Air Force nuclear strike force, with an underground command center.
The base is divided into three tiers with an area of approximately 15 hectares:
There were no aviation facilities apart from a heliport.
The base is located on the flank of the heights of the community of Taverny, with the hardened facility between 70 and 80 meters below the surface in the former quarries. The tunnels are large enough for trucks to enter. The underground climate is described as warm and dry, but the tunnels require monitoring for water penetration and dissolution of the gypsum. Somewhat more than 1000 personnel are employed at the base.
The facility is provided with backup power and an independent water supply. A 2000m² Faraday Cage was completed in 1993 after six years of construction - one of the largest in Europe.
Taverny provided information to the following organizations:
A similar Air Force facility exists northwest of Lyon at BA942 Lyon-Mont Verdun. The French Navy's counterpart facility, controlling the ballistic missile submarine strike force (Force océanique stratégique - FOST), was located about 20 km to the south at Houilles, Yvelines.
Coordinates: 49°02′00″N 2°13′00″E / 49.03333°N 2.21667°E
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