{{Refimprove|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox airport | name = Avord Air Base (BA 702) [[File:Roundel of France.svg|50px]] | nativename = {{smaller|''Base Aérienne 702''<br/>''Capitaine Georges Madon''}} | image = French E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft takes off from Avord, France.jpg | caption = E-3 Sentry taking off from Avord Air Base | ICAO = LFOA | type = Military | owner = [[Cabinet of France|Government of France]] | operator = [[French Air and Space Force|Armée de l'air et de l'espace]] | location = [[Avord]], [[France]] | elevation-f = 580 | elevation-m = 177 | coordinates = {{coord|47|03|12|N|002|37|57|E|region:FR|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = France | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_label = '''LFOA''' | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in France | metric-rwy = y | r1-number = 06/24 | r1-length-m = 3,503 | r1-length-f = 11,493 | r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]] | footnotes = Source: Aerodrome chart at Direction de la Circulation Aerienne Militaire (DIRCAM)<ref name="dircam">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dircam.air.defense.gouv.fr/dia/PDF/MIAC4%20ENG/MIAC4_LFOA_ENG.pdf |title=LFOA - AVORD |access-date=2007-05-12 |archive-date=2006-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126165657/http://www.dircam.air.defense.gouv.fr/dia/PDF/MIAC4%20ENG/MIAC4_LFOA_ENG.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> }}
'''Avord Air Base''' {{airport codes||LFOA}} or '''BA 702''' ({{langx|fr|Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon}}), named after Captain [[Georges Madon]], is a base of the [[French Air and Space Force]] (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) located {{convert|2.8|km|abbr=on}} north northwest<ref name="dircam"/> of [[Avord]] in central France.
Airbase 702 hosts about 2,500 personnel (French Air and Space 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, {{convert|3503|x|45|m|abbr=on|0}}.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
==Units on the base== * [[Escadron de détection et de contrôle aéroportés 36 Berry]] which flies the [[Boeing E-3 Sentry|Boeing E-3F]]<ref name="CCD">{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/presentation/chiffres-cles/chiffres-cles-de-l-armee-de-l-air|title=Chiffres clés de l'Armée de l'air - L'Armée de l'air en chiffres : 2019-2020 (FR)|publisher=French Air and Space Force|accessdate=October 24, 2020|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119002349/https://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/presentation/chiffres-cles/chiffres-cles-de-l-armee-de-l-air|url-status=dead}}</ref> ** 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 Aeroporté). Additional units attached: mission support flight, training flight, technical flight support and logistic flight.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} * [[École de L'Aviation de Transport 319 Capitaine Jean Dartiques]] flying the [[Embraer EMB 121 Xingu]]<ref name="CCD"/> * [[Escadron D'Instruction en Vol Fourchambault]]<ref name="CCD"/>
The base perimeter contains some maximum-security zones with:{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} * A Special Ammunitions Storage (SAS) or dépôt atelier munitions spécialisées (DAMS). Storage of appx. 60 of FAF's stockpile of [[Air-Sol Moyenne Portée]] ASMP nuclear midrange air ground missiles. * Two hardened alert facilities. One is hosting for [[Dassault Mirage 2000|Dassault Mirage 2000N]] combat aircraft, normally home based at [[Istres Air Base]] (BA 125) or at [[Luxeuil - Saint-Sauveur Air Base]] (BA 116). These planes are detached here on a rotating cycles to comply to the French nuclear deterrence mission. The other facility hosts E-3F airplanes and [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker|KC-135]] tankers, normally home based at Istres, but detached to Avord AB to be used with some [[Airborne early warning and control|AWACS]] and strike missions.
Other support units: {{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} * technical maintenance depot. * entrepôt de munition de l'armée de l'air Savigny-en-Septaine, a conventional ammo storage unit. * 1H.702 firefighting/rescue and nuclear decontamination unit. * 12.802 strategic telecom unit. * 02.950 air defense sqn (escadron de défense sol-air) Sancerre equipped with the [[Crotale_(missile)|Crotale]] and [[MBDA]] [[Mistral missile|Mistral]] short range air defense systems. * 1G.702 security squadron (escadron de protection) [[Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air]] responsible for security and base protection.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20081015214809/http://www.ba702.air.defense.gouv.fr/ Official site Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon] (French) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071113060442/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/decouverte/l_organisation/les_unites_aeriennes/cassic/l_escadron_de_detection_et_de_controle_aeroportes_edca_00_036_berry 00.036 Berry] (French) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724230827/http://www.airmil.org/esc_cassic.html Le CASSIC- the EWF] (French) *{{NWS-current|LFOA}}
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[[Category:French Air and Space Force bases]]