France starts rebuilding Luxeuil Air Base for Rafale nuclear squadrons

On 25 July 2026 the French Ministry of the Armed Forces awarded the first preparatory engineering contracts for the full reconstruction of Air Base 116 at Luxeuil‑Saint‑Sauveur. The €1.5 billion project will convert the site into France’s fourth nuclear air base, capable of hosting two Strategic Air Forces squadrons operating about 50 two‑seat Rafale F5 fighters equipped for the future ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missile.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with all flight activity halted from 2029 to 2032 to allow runway and facility rebuilding. The first Rafale F5 aircraft are expected to arrive in 2032, the first nuclear squadron to become operational in 2033, and the second squadron by 2036. Personnel numbers will rise from roughly 1,200 in 2025 to nearly 2,000 by 2035, with maintainers increasing from 300 to 800 and the pilot population quadrupling. The work follows President Emmanuel Macron’s March 2025 announcement and is part of the 2024‑2030 Military Programming Law.