SITES AND MONUMENTS

The plateau d'Albion

The strategic site - BA Apt-St Christol
At the beginning of the sixties, because of a scarce population and because of the ground, the French nuclear launching force was layed out on the Plateau d'Albion..
A 800 ha air base, the BA 200 Apt-Saint-Christol, 18 launching pads et 2 control stations were built (in Rustrel, near Apt and in Reilhannette).
Each launching pad was 3 km away from the next; each nuclear warhead was more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, was being watched night and day and directed by distance from 2 underground control stations setteld 400 m deep. Each station could control 9 launching pads. The pads like PCT1, in Rustrel were real bunkers able to stand a nuclear strike with 2 km long tunnels.
The 1er Groupement de missiles stratégiques (1er GMS) was in charge from 1971 to 1996. During that period, the plateau d’Albion was the most secret and the best guarded site in France.

Reconversion - The Foreign Legion
In 1996, the site is dismantled. The Foreign Legion settles in 1999. Called Quartier Maréchal Koenig, the base hosts 1000 soldiers, "the 2e Régiment étranger de génie" and the DGSE listening network.
The 2e REG is open twice a year and hundreds of people come and visit the place :
- on the 1st of may, for Camerone anniversary,
- on the 25th of december for the visit of the legion cribs.

Today
After dismantling the nuclear warheads, most launch pads were abandonned.
We can observe along the roads, between lavender and wheat fields, the control stations, platforms, 2 m thick concrete pediments, "electrified" fences, gates, anti-grenade nets, shielded doors and windows against rocket launching. We can easily imagine armed soldiers and entrance equipped with sensors.
One of the launching pads was transformed into a public astronomy observatory, SIRENE. While visiting the observatory, you will learn about Albion's military history. PCT1 in Rustrel, now the Low-Noise Underground Laboratory (LSBB), is not open to public.

UFOs
Many witnesses told about UFO phenomenons during the former nuclear period. Famous ufologist, like SF author Jimmy Guieu, put forward mysteries and assumptions.