30 July 2024
Paris banned drones during the run-up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, but security forces still had to take down up to six drones a day.
“Systems are in place to allow us to very quickly intercept drones and arrest their operators,” said Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. “We can’t allow anything to slip past us.”
Attal reported that many of the drones appeared to be flown by tourists seeking photographs and/or videos, however the communications chief of the Brazilian Olympic delegation was apprehended for illegally flying a drone over the Olympic village. Apparently, there is zero tolerance for drone bad behavior—even for those attending the games.
“Any unauthorised drones will be jammed,” said French general in charge of air defence Stephane Groen.
The drone defense hub is located at Velizy-Villacoublay air base near Paris, and the job of those watching the skies can be tense—not just due to the tracking and jamming of errant drones, but also because defenders can't risk a disabled drone falling while an event is underway.
"But, if in doubt, we will always jam a drone," said French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
Overall, approximately 18,000 French troops have been deployed to secure the Olympics, from air, Seine, and land.
