Landmark· Hao· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Hao Former Military Base
18° 4.5′ S · 140° 56.7′ W · approximate
Hao was the forward base for France's nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa, with a 3,380 m runway, a port, 15 km of road, desalination plants and a hospital. Its concrete legacy, from the runway to the old basin and shooting range, still shapes the atoll.
Practical
Air Base 185 was built in 1963-1965 as the air and sea supply link to Moruroa and Fangataufa. The armed forces withdrew in 2000 and handed the infrastructure to the territory; the base was finally shut in 2002 and dismantling began in 2009. The French Navy still maintained a small presence according to the compendium. Visible relics include the runway, the old military basin (Darse Sud) and the old shooting range near the pass. Respect fenced or private ground. Position: the airport coordinate from Wikipedia, marking the former base area. fr.wikipedia's Base aérienne 185 article adds that the base was created on 1 July 1963, construction began in September 1964, the 80,000 m² aircraft apron and the runway were finished in 1965, and the base could house up to 3,000 people during test campaigns, with an infirmary-hospital, power and fresh-water plants, a nautical club and a military boat basin. It was dissolved on 30 June 2000 and handed to the civil aviation service. English Wikipedia notes that in the late 1980s the two DGSE agents convicted over the Rainbow Warrior sinking were briefly held at the base. SV Knot Safety (2023) found Otepa a 'moonscape' of reused base buildings and scavenged materials.
Best for
History of the nuclear-test era