BAN Lann-Bihoué (Lorient-Bretagne Sud Airport)

BAN Lann-Bihoué is a French Naval Aviation facility located across the communes of Ploemeur, Gestel, and Quéven, nine kilometers west of Lorient in Morbihan, France. The site operates as a dual-use installation, sharing infrastructure with the civil Lorient-Bretagne Sud Airport. The base originated in 1938 as a civilian airfield before the French Navy purchased the land in 1939. During the Second World War, German forces occupied and expanded the site starting in 1941, operating aircraft to support Kriegsmarine submarine operations. Following the war, the French military reclaimed the facility, eventually establishing it as a primary base for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare.

The base is operated by the French Navy and hosts five naval aviation flotillas. Flottille 4F operates E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, which deploy aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Flottilles 21F and 23F operate Dassault Atlantique 2 (ATL2) aircraft for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare. Flottille 24F conducts maritime surveillance utilizing Dassault Falcon 50M aircraft, while Flottille 28F operates Embraer EMB 121 Xingu aircraft for force support and training. The base also supports Dassault Rafale fighters for carrier deployment preparation. A company of fusiliers marins provides site protection.

Tenant units include a Customs Aeromaritime Surveillance Brigade operating a Beechcraft 350ER King Air, a Civil Security helicopter detachment utilizing an Airbus H145, and a private defense contractor operating Jetstream 41 aircraft for military training support. The facility employs approximately 2,000 personnel, including 350 civilians.

The installation encompasses 800 hectares with a 22-kilometer perimeter and contains 250,000 square meters of buildings. On-site aircraft maintenance is supported by the Atelier industriel de l'aéronautique (AIA) de Bretagne, which utilizes a 2,740-square-meter hangar capable of accommodating ATL2 aircraft, alongside 1,130 square meters of specialized workshops.