Avord Air Base

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Avord Air Base (BA 702) Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon
IATA: none - ICAO: LFOA
Summary
Airport type		Military
Serves		Avord
Elevation AMSL		580 ft (177 m)
Coordinates		47°03′12″N, 002°37′57″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
06/24	11,493	3,503	Asphalt

Avord Air Base (ICAO: LFOA) or BA 702 (French: Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon), named after Captain Georges Madon, is a base of the French Air Force located near Avord in central France.

Airbase 702 hosts about 2500 personnel (French Air Force military and some civilian). Because of its strategic location in the middle of France it is extremely suitable as a multi purpose base. It has a single runway 06/24 with a length of 2505m.

It is the home of the French Boeing E-3F AWACS unit 'Berry' that is located here. Its role is to carry out airborne surveillance, and command, control and communications (C3) functions for both tactical and air defense forces. The French designation is E-3 SDA (Systeme de Detection Aeroporte). Additional units attached: mission support flight, training flight, tech support flight, logistic flight.

A nuclear weapon depot (DAMS) is locked inside the base perimeter containing 60 of FAF's stockpile of nuclear midrange air ground missiles ASMP.

Two hardened alert facilities are located on the base. One hosting 4 Mirage 2000N planes normally home based at Istres BA125 and at Luxeuil BA116. The planes are detached here on a rotating cyclus to comply to the nuclear deterrence. The other facility hosts KC135 tankers normally home based at Istres to be used on AWACS and strike missions.

Other support units: transport flight school, tech maintenance and conventional weapon depot, firefighting and nuclear decontamination unit. Base defense: air defense sqn equipped with Crotale AD system, base protection sqn.