The Importance of Anti-Drone fight for the OPG

As part of the special air security set up established for the 2024 OPG, the anti-drone fight will be conducted on an exceptional scale, particularly in the Île-de-France region. The French Air and Space Force will simultaneously deploy heavy systems and several dozen lightweight anti-drone teams. It will coordinate all joint and inter-departmental anti-drone fight resources mobilized (Army, Gendarmerie, Police, etc.) to ensure air security at very low altitudes.

The challenge for the forces involved will be the precise identification and rapid discrimination of various types of drones transiting through protected areas and their surroundings. The system will thus allow the distinction between authorized systems (for event security, broadcasting, or passenger transport) and unauthorized devices that could pose a threat by flying over sites. In this regard, the French Air and Space Force will coordinate all resources, both for data synthesis and for intervention.

One of the mission's objectives is to aggregate the data collected by each system to have a comprehensive overview. To this end, the French Air and Space Force collaborates with the Defense Innovation Agency, the National office for airspace studies and research and Thales’ La Ruche for the development of a software tool capable of synthesizing data from about fifteen different sensors. This shared air situation system has already been used in real conditions and has proven essential for the command and conduct of complex operations (runway deconfliction, real-time aid to decision-making, etc.).

The French Air and Space Force will also integrate various anti-drone fight systems within an adapted command and control architecture. It will be structured around operational centers at national, regional, and local levels and liaison officers distributed among other operational centers.

Early operational training

While aviators are accustomed to carrying out anti-drone fight missions within the special air security set up (around twenty each year), implementing such a large-scale set up remains unprecedented.

To meet the challenge, the French Air and Space Force has organized several exercises over the past two years involving military and industrial actors in the system. In January 2023, it notably tested the anti-drone fight device as part of the large inter-departmental exercise: COUBERTIN anti drone fight. A new edition in March 2024 allowed for a final rehearsal under real conditions.

COUBERTIN anti-drone fight exercise mobilizes all actors over several days to test the anti-drone fight command chain, information and communication system architectures and the implementation of detection and jamming systems. The exercises take place at Villacoublay Air Base, which hosts the national operational center, as well as at various remote sites to be as close as possible to real deployment conditions during the Games.

In addition to these targeted training sessions, the French Air and Space Force has also tested the inter-departmental anti-drone fight set ups several major events such as the European Union summit during the French Presidency of the EU, the Paris parades of July 14^th, Pope Francis' visit to Marseilles or the 2023 Rugby World Cup. These various security operations have been systematically utilized to prepare for the 2024 deadline.

Anti-drone fight within the French Air and Space Force

As part of its permanent "sky policing" mission, the AAE has adapted to the recent evolution of airspace users' profiles on the national territory. Drones, both small and slow, with a low radar signature, represent a new form of challenge for both air traffic and the protection of sensitive sites. Faced with the proliferation of recreational and professional drones and the risks and threats they pose, aviators are constantly optimizing their protection set ups and anti-drone fight systems. The French Air and Space Force thus works closely with the industry to promote innovation projects in this field, while strengthening the recruitment and training of its specialists.