Laser Weapon Defense System Set to Shoot Drones From Sky During 2024 Paris Olympics

An anti-drone laser defense system will be propped up and primed to shoot down any flying drone device near the Stade de France, to protect spectators during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In June, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced that the HELMA-P, anti-drone laser defense system, was ordered to be deployed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to CNN.

“The HELMA-P system provides a calibrated response to the drone threat, from dazzling the drone’s observation instruments to the neutralization of a mini or micro drone (up to 55 pounds) by altering its structure, causing it to fall in a few seconds,” the ministry said in a statement.

The HELMA-P system can shoot out powerful laser beams that heat up drones to a point where they either burn or overheat and shut down, a French ministry engineer identified only as Jean due to security concerns told CNN.

A French defense ministry spokesperson told Reuters the laser beam is one million times more powerful than the one used by QR code readers and will also be used to protect nuclear power plants, military bases and other major events.

Other than shooting lasers, the anti-drone defense system will also include radar and radio frequency sensors to help locate drones. Once identified, the weapon developed has a one-kilometer killing range, Jean said to CNN.

Drone threats have increased exponentially in recent years including for big events such as the Olympics, Philippe Gros, senior research fellow at French security and defense think tank Foundation for Strategic Research, told CNN reporters.

The security researcher said drones can be used to scan and search a given area to identify the location of potential targets. Drones also can be modified to carry weapons or explosives.

The 2024 Olympics will take place at the Stade de France in Paris, France.