news

E-3F Sentry airborne early warning/command aircraft.

Rafale fighter jet.

NerodMC2 handheld anti-drone device.

NASAMS surface-to-air missile system developed by Norway.

On July 26, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games opened in Paris, France. Although this Olympics is called the Paris Olympics, the venues for the event include not only various venues in the city of Paris, but also multiple venues distributed throughout France, which brings considerable pressure to security work. Air security, which is the highlight of security, is the responsibility of the French Aerospace Forces, which mainly focuses on large cities such as Paris and Marseille where events are concentrated, and strives to build an effective air defense system that integrates intelligence and command, air and ground.

Paris builds a three-dimensional air defense network

It is reported that during this Olympics, the French government has deployed a total of 45,000 police officers and 10,000 soldiers as the main force for security. French media said that Paris has never had so many troops stationed since World War II. As the main body of air security, the French Aerospace Forces dispatched an air force consisting of E-3F "Sentry" airborne early warning/command aircraft, "Rafale" fighter jets, PC-21 "Pilatus" trainer aircraft, AS555 "European Fox" helicopters and MQ-9A "Reaper" drones to build a tight air defense network for Paris.

On the day of the opening ceremony, the French Air Defense and Air Operations Command established a temporary no-fly zone within 150 kilometers of the center of Paris. All unauthorized aircraft were not allowed to enter the no-fly zone. At the same time, several airports including Charles de Gaulle Airport were suspended during the opening ceremony. In order to implement the no-fly mission, the French military mobilized more than 70 radar stations across the country for comprehensive monitoring, and dispatched an E-3F "Sentry" airborne early warning/command aircraft to cruise in the air all day to monitor any targets that may appear in the no-fly zone. The detection range of the E-3F "Sentry" airborne early warning/command aircraft for medium and high altitude targets is 650 kilometers, and the detection range for low altitude targets is 400 kilometers. It can be said to be a "flying long-range radar station."

During the Olympic Games, at least two Rafale fighters patrolled over Paris under the command of the E-3F Sentry airborne early warning/command aircraft, performing close-range identification and interception missions. The two Rafale fighters were supported by the Airbus A330Mrtt tanker to ensure that they could stay in the air for a long time to perform their missions.

In the medium and low altitude airspace, the French military dispatched MQ-9A Reaper drones to strengthen surveillance. After discovering suspicious targets, the PC-21 Pilatus trainer aircraft was dispatched to intercept. The PC-21 Pilatus trainer aircraft uses turboprop propulsion, has a moderate flight speed, and stable performance, which is suitable for identifying and intercepting medium and low altitude targets. In addition, the French Aerospace Forces also dispatched AS555 Fox helicopters to patrol over the competition venues. The snipers on these helicopters carry drone countermeasures and can shoot down unidentified drones.

In addition, the French military has deployed a variety of anti-drone systems on the ground. One is the "Mirad" joint anti-drone system, which can interfere with and deceive small and micro drones within a range of 2,500 meters; one is the Helma-P laser anti-drone system installed on a light motor vehicle, which can intercept drones within 1 kilometer; the last one is the NerodMC2 handheld anti-drone device. French soldiers carry this handheld anti-drone device on street patrols, and cooperate with soldiers equipped with 12-gauge shotguns to deal with low-altitude small and micro drones.

Marseille deploys new anti-aircraft missiles

Marseille, a port city in southern France, will host the sailing competitions and some football matches of this Olympics, and its air defense is mainly provided by surface-to-air missiles.

During previous Olympic Games, host countries deployed surface-to-air missile systems near Olympic venues. For example, during the 2012 London Olympics, the British Royal Air Force deployed the Rapier 2000 short-range surface-to-air missile system. During the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the Russian military deployed the Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile system, the Tor M1 short-range surface-to-air missile system, and the Pantsir S1 integrated air defense system near the venues. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces deployed the Patriot-3 air defense and anti-missile system.

During the preparations for the Paris Olympics, the French government hoped that NATO countries would share the air defense missions of other cities. At the end of last year, the French government proposed to Greece that it hoped to lease the Greek "Sidewinder" NG short-range surface-to-air missile system for use in the air defense of the Marseille area. The "Sidewinder" NG is a surface-to-air missile system developed by the French Thales Defense Group. It has been in service in the French army since the 1990s and has been exported to Finland, Greece and other countries. The French government's request did not receive a response from the Greek government, and the relevant negotiations were suspended in April this year.

In July this year, the Spanish government, in response to a request for support from the French government, sent a rapid mobile force to Marseille, bringing with it a NASAMS surface-to-air missile system developed by Norway. The system uses a 6-unit launcher and is equipped with a modified "surface-to-air" model of the American-made AIM-120 air-to-air missile, with a maximum range of 30 kilometers.

In addition to the NASAMS surface-to-air missile system brought by Spain, the two latest "Mica" VL surface-to-air missile systems that the French army has just received have also been deployed near the Olympic Sailing Center in Marseille.

The "Mica" VL surface-to-air missile system is similar to the NASAMS surface-to-air missile system. It is a "surface-to-air" modified model equipped with the "Mica" NG medium-range air-to-air missile. It can intercept various medium and low-altitude targets within a distance of 20 kilometers and an altitude of less than 9,000 meters. It has the characteristics of fast response speed and high interception accuracy. It is worth mentioning that in January 2024, France just signed a contract to purchase 12 sets of "Mica" VL surface-to-air missile systems, and the first batch of 2 sets of "Mica" VL surface-to-air missile systems were delivered to the French military in June. These two sets of surface-to-air missile systems that have just been delivered are used to perform Olympic security tasks. It is really a bit of "forcing ducks to put on the shelves", which also reflects the French military's emphasis on security.

(Source: China National Defense News)

For more exciting information, please download the "Jimu News" client from the application market. Please do not reprint without authorization. You are welcome to provide news clues, and you will be paid once adopted.