Guarding Olympics-goers in France from wayward drones.
In today’s SOFREP Pic of the Day, we see a young French soldier and her rather odd-looking “drone buster” standing guard by the river Seine. She is part of the security detail for the Olympics as part of Opération Sentinelle. The unwieldy drone jammer is damn near as big as she is. I can’t help but wonder if they bring unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by pelting them with day-old croissants. Probably not.
All joking aside, more than 50 drones have been intercepted in the City of Lights since the beginning of the Olympic Games. Most were not flown with the intent to harm. Many were likely from hobbyists (who should have known better) trying to get a better view of the city or the games. The only people allowed to fly drones in the area are law enforcement, the military, and the press, with proper permits. The general public was informed long ago that Paris during the Olympics was to be a no-drone zone.
The French defense consists of more than a dozen anti-drone units. Each one can jam the signal controlling the aircraft from miles away, rendering it useless. Some troops even have special rifles with laser units that can bring down a drone acting in a threatening manner.
These French military snipers can take down drones as well as human threats.
“Dronegate”
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have been overshadowed by a significant controversy known as “Dronegate.” The scandal involved the Canadian women’s soccer team, accused of using a drone to spy on the New Zealand team’s practice sessions. The incident came to light when New Zealand reported a drone flying over their training on July 22, leading to an investigation by French police. The drone was traced back to a member of the Canadian team’s staff, specifically an analyst named Joseph Lombardi.
The fallout from this incident has been substantial. FIFA imposed severe penalties on the Canadian team, including a six-point deduction in their group standings and a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (approximately $214,845). Additionally, head coach Bev Priestman, Lombardi, and another official received one-year bans from all football-related activities. This penalty significantly impacted Canada’s performance, leaving them with zero points despite winning their first two matches against France and New Zealand.
Every new detail about Dronegate is somehow perfectly scripted. Finally getting caught because you picked the team with a drone enthusiast 😭 https://t.co/BVvloqGi7O
In today’s SOFREP Pic of the Day, we see a young French soldier and her rather odd-looking “drone buster” standing guard by the river Seine. She is part of the security detail for the Olympics as part of Opération Sentinelle. The unwieldy drone jammer is damn near as big as she is. I can’t help but wonder if they bring unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by pelting them with day-old croissants. Probably not.
All joking aside, more than 50 drones have been intercepted in the City of Lights since the beginning of the Olympic Games. Most were not flown with the intent to harm. Many were likely from hobbyists (who should have known better) trying to get a better view of the city or the games. The only people allowed to fly drones in the area are law enforcement, the military, and the press, with proper permits. The general public was informed long ago that Paris during the Olympics was to be a no-drone zone.
The French defense consists of more than a dozen anti-drone units. Each one can jam the signal controlling the aircraft from miles away, rendering it useless. Some troops even have special rifles with laser units that can bring down a drone acting in a threatening manner.
These French military snipers can take down drones as well as human threats.
“Dronegate”
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have been overshadowed by a significant controversy known as “Dronegate.” The scandal involved the Canadian women’s soccer team, accused of using a drone to spy on the New Zealand team’s practice sessions. The incident came to light when New Zealand reported a drone flying over their training on July 22, leading to an investigation by French police. The drone was traced back to a member of the Canadian team’s staff, specifically an analyst named Joseph Lombardi.
The fallout from this incident has been substantial. FIFA imposed severe penalties on the Canadian team, including a six-point deduction in their group standings and a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (approximately $214,845). Additionally, head coach Bev Priestman, Lombardi, and another official received one-year bans from all football-related activities. This penalty significantly impacted Canada’s performance, leaving them with zero points despite winning their first two matches against France and New Zealand.
Every new detail about Dronegate is somehow perfectly scripted. Finally getting caught because you picked the team with a drone enthusiast 😭 https://t.co/BVvloqGi7O
Despite the controversy and penalties, the Canadian team showed remarkable resilience. They advanced to the quarterfinals by securing a crucial win over Colombia. However, their journey ended there with a loss to Germany in a penalty shootout. The players expressed their frustration and disbelief over the actions of their coaching staff, emphasizing that they had no knowledge of or involvement in the spying activities.
The scandal has broader implications, raising questions about the use of technology in sports to gain an unfair advantage. This is not the first instance of technological misuse in the Olympics, and it draws comparisons to other incidents where athletes or teams have exploited technological advancements to bend the rules.
Overall, “Dronegate” has cast a shadow over the Canadian women’s soccer team’s achievements and raised ethical concerns about competitive practices in international sports.
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