page_title: Toulon arsenal
section_title: The Rade
hierarchical_section_title: Toulon arsenal / The Rade
context_page_description: The military port of Toulon is the principal base of the French Navy and the first naval base in Europe by size, sited in the city of Toulon. It holds most of France's force d'action navale, comprising the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle as well as its nuclear attack submarines, in total more than 70% of the tonnage of the French Navy. About 20,000 military and civilians work at the base
context_section_description: The word rade comes from the old English term 'Road,' "a protected place near shore, not so enclosed as a harbour, where ships can ride at anchor.". The Rade of Toulon is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean, and the largest rade in Europe. It is protected from the sea by the peninsula of Giens and the peninsula of Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, and has been used as a military harbour since the 15th century. The Rade shelters the port of Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, the port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, as well as the arsenal, or military port of Toulon, and the commercial port.
caption: The aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle in the Rade of Toulon
exif: {}