Base Aérienne 278 Ambérieu-en-Bugey, named « Colonel Albert Chambonnet » since 1982, is a French Air and Space Force base located 3 kilometers north-north-west of Ambérieu-en-Bugey, France. The site, originally a plain, saw its first aeronautical activities around 1910, with the establishment of an aviation school by Louis Mouthier. In 1912, it became a military aviation school. During World War I, it served as a training center for pilots, forming 2328 pilots between 1915 and 1918. It also housed workshops for the fabrication, repair, and maintenance of aircraft and components. After a period of inactivity following WWI, the Caudron school installed its pilot training facility in 1929. During World War II, the base was used for the assembly of Lioré et Olivier LeO 451 bombers by SNCASE. After the liberation in September 1944, it was used by the IVe escadre de chasse and the 324th American fighter group, operating Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft for operations against German positions. Since 1945, the base has specialized in the maintenance, repair, and dismantling of aircraft. In 1952, it became Air Force Depot No. 611, primarily revising aircraft such as P-47 Thunderbolts, Morane-Saulnier Vanneau, Siebel 204, Sipa S.10, and SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc. From 1957, as ARAA 624, it focused on the repair of North American T-6 Texan aircraft, as well as Sud-Aviation T28 Fennec and Sikorsky H-34 helicopters. Aircraft repair ceased in 1966. Currently, BA 278 is a supply center for the French Air and Space Force. Its primary mission is the repair and maintenance of electronic onboard equipment, detection and telecommunication systems, navigation aids, and the manufacturing of simple equipment. It also calibrates and repairs all air force measurement devices and produces and repairs safety, rescue, and survival equipment for pilots. The base features a conventional paved runway (2,000 meters), a non-paved 'crash' runway (800 meters), a rudimentary runway for Airbus A400M Atlas training, and a drop-zone for airborne troops and material parachuting. It also includes a firing range. The main units are the Atelier Industriel d'Aéronautique (AIA), responsible for maintaining onboard equipment, including safety, survival, and rescue equipment (parachutes, ejection seats), information and communication systems (radars, transceivers), electronic equipment (navigation instruments, distress beacons), and mechanical services. The Escadron de Soutien Logistique et Technique (ESLT) acts as a primary depot for technical material. The Escadron de Soutien de Capacité À Pression (ESCAP) handles the maintenance and control of pressurized gas containers for the Army and Air and Space Force.