VLIZY VILLACOU­BLAY: French security forces guarding sites set to be used in the Paris Olym­pics are intercepting an average of six drones per day, Prime Minister Gabr­iel Attal said.

The miniature flyers are sometimes operated by “individuals, maybe tourists wanting to take pictures”, Attal said.

“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 defence 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, the communications chief of the Brazi­lian delegation was apprehended for operating a drone.

“Any unauthorised drone will be jammed,” said Stephane Groen, France’s general in charge of air defence, as Attal visited a control room where an aerial vehicle had been spotted over the Stade de France stadium.

The defenders’ job is particularly tricky as they must avoid the remote vehicles falling while a sporting event is underway.

Nevertheless, “if in dou­bt, we always jam” a drone, Defence Minister Sebas­tien Lecornu said.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2024