In response to an increase in drone sightings around airports, France’s Directorate of Air Navigation Services (DSNA), in collaboration with Drone XTR and Seris Security, deployed a drone detection system which also provided surveillance during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games around the airports of Nice and Marseille.
Drone XTR’s multi-sensor system is designed to detect drones within a radius of 20 kilometres around airports. It provides coverage of critical areas, such as the initial climb and final approach trajectories of aircraft, and has the capability of detecting instructions without impacting other aerial activities. Seris Security manages the alerts generated by the Drone XTR system, transmitting the relevant information to the DSNA.
Aerobernie reports that the deployment of this detection solution around the Nice and Marseille airports means that an area of more than 90,000 hectares is now under constant surveillance.
Nationally, the French Air and Space Force conducted a counter-drone operation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, focusing on the Île-de-France region. Several systems and anti-drone teams were deployed ahead of the events. The systems enabled distinction between authorised drones (for event security, broadcasting, etc) and unauthorised devices.
Data was collected by each system to provide a comprehensive overview. The French Air and Space Force collaborated with the Defense Innovation Agency, the National Office for Airspace Studies and Research, and Thales’ La Ruche facility to develop a software tool capable of synthesising data from about fifteen different sensors. The French Air and Space Force also integrated various counter-drone systems within an adapted command and control architecture, structured around operational centres at national, regional, and local levels and liaison officers distributed among other operational centres.
For more information
Ministry of Armed Forces – France
Image: Ministry of Armed Forces – France
