Correspondence regarding aerial activity inquiries near Trans-en-Provence

This document consists of official correspondence between the French Army General Staff (Etat-Major de l'Armée de Terre) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), specifically regarding the GEPAN unit. The correspondence addresses an inquiry into an aerial phenomenon observed on January 8, 1980, by a witness identified as Monsieur N, southeast of Trans-en-Provence. The CNES had requested information to determine if this observation was linked to military activities in the area. The Army conducted an investigation and formally responded that there was no connection between the reported sighting and any military operations. They clarified that the only notable military activity occurring at the time of the observation was a tank cannon firing exercise using inert shells, which took place over 25 kilometers north of the location of the sighting. The document also includes earlier correspondence from July and August 1981 regarding inquiries into ALAT (Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre) aircraft activity, where the military confirmed an Alouette II helicopter flight in a different region, while noting they could not provide information on incidents at a specific camp as it fell outside their command.