French overseas military presence
France maintains a network of overseas military facilities and forward positions that supports territorial defence, regional security, military cooperation and expeditionary operations. Its overseas footprint includes permanent joint-service bases, air and naval facilities, garrisons, training locations and smaller operational detachments.
The status of these locations is not uniform. Some remain active French military installations, while others have been withdrawn from, transferred to host countries or transformed into joint training facilities. The guides below distinguish between permanent French bases, former installations and other forms of French military presence rather than treating every French-linked site as an active overseas base.
Bases
FFDj — Forces françaises stationnées à Djibouti
One of France's largest and longest-standing overseas military presences, based in Djibouti City.
Read Guide →FFEAU — Forces françaises aux Émirats arabes unis
France's permanent military presence in Abu Dhabi — France's first standing base in the Gulf.
Read Guide →Camp de Gaulle (EFG)
Former permanent French base in Gabon, restructured since 2024 into a joint Franco-Gabonese training centre.
Read Guide →