What Happened
French Air Force Expands Dispersed Air Operations Training
The French Air and Space Force has conducted an exercise to test the ability of its Rafale fighters to operate from civilian airports, as part of its adaptation of NATO’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept. The exercise, known as BASEX, was held across France from September 23 to October 2, 2026, and involved deployments to Pau Pyrénées Airport and Dinard Airport. The service said it was the second consecutive year it had carried out such deployments from civilian airports in France. The exercise was first reported by AeroTime.