Some drones will be recognized as “friends” while others will be destroyed.
Villacoublay, France:
Security is the hottest topic at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and France intends to spare no effort in preparing to ensure the security of the Games with the help of counter-drone forces.
The Villacoublay military base outside Paris will be home to a counter-drone coordination center, where police, gendarmes and military officers will work together to curb the threat posed by drones.
“Drones can be used to conduct protests, or for terrorist purposes,” Gen. Arnaud Bourguignon, the general in charge of air and counter-drone protection for the Olympics, told reporters on Thursday.
“We’ve seen how easy it is to use drones for other purposes and turn them into weapons.”
Officials will monitor air traffic during the Games and be able to identify drones through radar or pictures sent by officials on the ground at Olympic venues.
Some drones will be recognized as “friends” while others will be destroyed.
Officials will use one of 15 heavy-duty counter-drone devices equipped with radar, cameras and jamming antennas that can neutralize drones from several kilometers away.
They will also be equipped with anti-drone rifles that can disrupt a drone’s radio signal or shoot it down with lasers.
However, not all drones require emergency liftoff.
“Some drones are used by the media, but they are also used to referee some events, so we cannot ban them completely,” Bourguignon said.
Although France has never suffered a drone attack, the country has been the target of Islamist attacks, with gunmen and suicide bombers simultaneously attacking Paris entertainment venues and cafes in November 2015.
The Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
