Attack on the drones: What are games organisers doing about a huge potential security threat?

They weigh 80kgs, cost millions and their target is flying saucers barely bigger than a dinner plate, so why are they so important to the security of the Paris games?

Star Wars may have triumphed with Attack of the Clones but the Paris Olympics is struggling with its Games theme … Attack on the Drones.

Media companies have been warned that, while terrorist threats are the prime concern, illegal operators of drones during the Olympics can expect fines of up to $150,000 and a year in prison.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said a drone attack was “without doubt the main (threat) to be dealt with” at the Games and there is deep concern the opening ceremony on the river Seine, expected to be watched by 300,000, could be vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

Whether the drone management plan ends up being as successful as the Star Wars blockbuster is very much a matter of conjecture in Paris with the Games just three months away.

French policemen hold anti-drone guns. Picture: AFP)

French news outlet Agence France-Presse has released an investigation claiming there are major concerns about the ability of security teams to properly monitor the threat of drones.

Security forces for the Paris Olympics will be armed with 80 kilogram, $3 million laser guns which can shoot down drones suspected to be from terrorist organisations or media outlets seeking unsanctioned shots from private property.

Two experienced security firms have been called in to protect arriving teams at the Nice and Marseille airports for the Games but the six different systems designed to monitor the threat of Games have been privately tested and leaked reports have expressed concerns about their performance.

Their resume includes guarding prisons where drones are used for illegal phone and drug drops.

It is estimated there are 2.5 million drones in France and while most are used for private, recreational or business use the government has long feared their impact during the Games.

There has even been speculation Games organisers could call in the French army who recently took possession of technology which enabled it to identify and, if need be, destroy any drone located within a 10km radius..

Originally published as Attack on the drones: What are games organisers doing about a huge potential security threat?