The obvious impact was on the side of a small quadcopter, about the size of a 2 euro coin. The culprit was a 2-kilowatt (kW) laser beam that smashed the device into stone during an exercise organized by the French Air Force at Villacoubray Air Base, west of Paris. A Cilas Helma-P laser weapon was required to neutralize the 20 centimeter long flying object, which weighs 600 grams and sells for 400 euros. The device weighs 80 kg in the turret and is worth approximately 2 million euros. This serves as a classic example of asymmetry in the fight against drones.
Flying cameras, which can take spectacular aerial photographs for entertainment purposes, have become the armed wing of a somewhat elusive “low-cost threat.” Images from the war in Ukraine and battlefields in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Middle East show small drones, similar to those used by vacationers, dropping explosives on enemies, further underscoring the authenticity of this new danger. ing.
No major public event or international summit can now take place without equipment designed to counter potential drone intrusion. Preventing such attacks, whether acts of terrorism or media stunts by activists seeking to disrupt the ceremony, has become the obsession of organizers of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. In this respect, France stands out as one of the first countries to raise the alarm and organize a business response.
critical market
This rapid recognition stems from the alarm caused by unmanned aircraft flying over seven nuclear power plants in late 2014. These incidents went unresolved, and along with subsequent alerts, particularly regarding airports, led authorities to establish policies to mitigate this multifaceted risk.
Detecting and neutralizing aircraft that are barely larger than a toy, flying kilometers away from the pilot or following a pre-programmed flight plan, is challenging. Following an initial call for tenders launched in 2014 by the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN, under the Prime Minister's authority), the proximity of the Olympic Games prompted the expansion and intensification of counter-drone operations.
In 2022, a new call for tenders in Europe issued by the Directorate-General for Armaments is called “Parade” (Protection Déployable Modulaire Antidrone, meaning “Modular Deployable Anti-Drone Protection”) and was founded by European strongman Thales. The consortium won the bid. CS Group Sopra Steria, specialist in defense electronics and airborne protection. The deal, worth a total of €350 million over 11 years, of which €33 million has been confirmed to date, further raises the profile of a market that has become important for defense electronics manufacturers. I did.
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