How the French military countered the drone threat during the Paris Olympics

Remember: this July 26, 2024, the weather will overshadow the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. In hindsight, this was the only false note of a spectacle that amazed the French. Behind the scenes, the French soldiers responsible for securing the skies of Paris against malicious drones are nevertheless rubbing their hands. The downpours that fall on the capital will have an unexpected effect. Faced with the rain, drone remote pilots of all kinds also give up.

An evening like the 2024 Olympics, therefore, without any notable incidents surrounding drones. What justifies the satisfecit feet at the close of the Olympiad. The Air Force reports security operations carried out “ brilliantly » and a “ excellent coordination between all services “. In total, around 400 drones were detected. It also has 90 jamming operations. Finally, 85 arrests were recorded among remote pilots, including two with the support of a Reaper drone, this large machine capable of remaining in flight for 30 hours.

Major French and European resources to spot and neutralize drones

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To cope, the Air Force had mobilized significant resources to protect various sensitive sites, including the athletes’ village, which is constantly monitored. First of all, Paradea radar coupled with cameras and jammers. A system criticized before the Gamesbut which ultimately gave satisfaction. “ The Games were a good opportunity to refine this system and move upmarket”assures Olivier Poncet. There was also the DroneBlocker from the company Roboost, a radio direction finding system allowing the detection of drones and their operators up to 5 km away. Or the dystopian laser from the company Cilas intended to burn its targets in just a few seconds. He didn’t have to hit the mark during the Games.

Likewise, two Giraffe 1X radars, capable of detecting small objects, had been deployed in Paris and Marseille “to complement the detection capabilities of heavy anti-drone combat systems”listed the Air Force. Furthermore, there was the reinforcement of the Milad system, a tool for luring and jamming drones, provided by the Army, of Radiant, the tool of the national police, of Orcus, that of the Royal Air British force, which detected nine drones near a Parisian Olympic site, or even Bada HP47 jammer rifles loaned by Germany.

Overflight bans defied despite everything by individuals

« We seek to have scalable and complementary systems: detection, distant interception, decoys, jamming and ultimate destruction systems », summarizes Olivier Poncet. Significant means, which mainly served to call ordinary remote pilots to order. “ It’s no surprisecontinues the general officer. Overflight bans are regularly defied due to ignorance of the regulations “. There are these very curious remote pilots. They hope to have their own images of a big event by playing with the bans. And there are also those who are unaware of the existence of the sporting event itself or, at least, who are unaware of its precise geographical perimeters.

Result: while the military was counting on a drop in incidents during the Paralympic Games, organized two weeks after the Olympics, these concerns were on the contrary on the rise. No doubt because of the return from vacation of Ile-de-France residents… “CThis confirms that there is often no malicious intent. But when we detect a drone, we don’t know who is behind itunderlines the Air Force general. We are obliged to react very quickly, within the order of the minute. »

Sorting the wheat from the chaff, because drones were also allowed in the area

For the military, a single drone would have been enough to spoil the sporting event. The threat had been expressed to several families. Terrorist groups, who had made calls for the disruption of the Olympic Games. “ The drone is part of terrorist operating methods, even if it requires specific or specialized know-how, we are preparing for it », recalls Olivier Poncet. Protest actions were also feared. And then, the activity of simple remote pilots, but which still causes disruption. This was the majority of cases, ultimately.

Each time, it was a matter of trying to stop the flight of the drone and find the individual who was operating it. Most of the time, the flying machine could be identified by its registration. This marking makes it possible to establish a link with its owner. However, the military had to distinguish the wheat from the chaff. Nearly 3,000 drones from administrations, the media and even the SNCF, for track surveillance, were accredited.

No chase in the sky

« The area to defend was very large, so we had prioritization rulesexplains the general officer. There may have been sequences where we did not intervene, because the drones were at the edge of the area, but there was no chase where a drone would have escaped us “. Conversely, the Air Force was able to lend a helping hand outside of its mission to protect the Games. Like these two people suspected of having wanted to have equipment delivered by drone to a penitentiary establishment. The well-informed police were able to arrest them.

After three years of preparation for the Games, the armies are now working on their feedback. Olivier Poncet already has in mind a first idea around new means to request. There is still a technological brick missing from its arsenal. That of a means of capturing a drone without crashing it to the ground. Which could be annoying above a crowd, whether it’s pouring rain or not.

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