Istres-Le Tubé Air Base

Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (ICAO: LFMI) is a major French Air and Space Force installation located near Istres in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France. It serves as one of France's most strategically important military airfields, hosting fighter aircraft operations and serving as a key base for the French nuclear deterrent mission. The base is closely associated with the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) flight test center, making it a hub for experimental and developmental aviation work in France. Aircraft such as the Dassault Rafale have undergone extensive testing at this facility. The long runway at Istres has also historically served as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle program. As a military installation, the airfield has no scheduled commercial passenger services and is not open to the general public. It remains operationally active and plays a central role in French defense aviation.