- Drones are sometimes operated by individuals, including tourists, for photo-taking.
- Attal emphasizes the ban on flying drones and the use of systems to intercept and arrest their operators.
- Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu emphasizes the importance of jamming drones.
“That’s why it’s important to remind people of the rules. There’s a ban on flying drones,” he added during a visit to the event’s drone defense hub at Velizy-Villacoublay air base outside Paris.
“Systems are in place to allow us to very quickly intercept (drones) and arrest their operators,” Attal said. “We can’t allow anything to slip past us.”
He highlighted several incidents around the Olympic Village on Sunday. According to a member of Attal’s team, authorities apprehended the communications chief of the Brazilian delegation for operating a drone.
“Any unauthorized drone will be jammed,” said Stephane Groen, France’s general in charge of air defense, as Attal visited a control room where an aerial vehicle had been spotted over the Stade de France stadium.
The defenders face a particularly tricky job, as they must prevent the remote vehicles from falling during sporting events. However, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated, “If in doubt, we always jam” a drone. In addition to drone defenses, other forms of anti-aircraft protection are in place around Olympic sites.
France has deployed around 18,000 troops to secure the Olympics, with 11,000 stationed in the Ile-de-France region around Paris. For the first time in French history, authorities will completely close airspace within a 150-kilometer (93 miles) radius around Paris on Friday evening during the opening ceremony.
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