When you think of drones, you probably think of harmless toys or maybe Amazon package delivery systems. But with terrorism on the rise, terrorists might turn to drones to deliver a different kind of package. And dealing with that threat might be difficult for law enforcement, after all, how do you shoot a drone out of the sky without injuring bystanders? Although no one was injured, the French began becoming concerned about drone attacks in early 2015, when drones flew over the presidential palace and a restricted military site.
Since then the French have given new meaning to the term Air Force.
Although falconry has been a sport in Europe for ages, it has recently taken an unusual turn. The French Air Force is now training large golden eagles to see drones as their prey. Their first group of trainees were named after the famous Three Musketeers, and from a few weeks old, they were fed off of stationary drones, so they have come to associate drones with food. As they got older they learned to snatch drones out of the sky.
The drones they are working with can weigh up to eight pounds and the eagles can have a 6-foot wingspan. With their sharp eyesight, golden eagles can spot a target up to a mile away. Eventually, the French hope to be able to outfit the eagles with special Kevlar vests (or at least gloves for their talons) to help protect them from their hazardous duty.
The French developed the idea after hearing that the Dutch were using Eagles to capture toy drones that were harassing citizens and entering “no-fly” zones about 5 or 6 years ago. From there the Dutch realized that Eagles could become effective anti-terrorism fighters as well and the French followed suit.
Terrorism in France is Not New
Although the French may consider Americans “barbarians with guns” they have been the recipients of their own terror attacks for ages. Wikipedia lists 64 individual attacks going back as far as 1958. In addition, they list 10 attacks on French Nationals that occurred outside France.
Just since 2015, There have been numerous terrorist attacks on French soil. In 2015 alone there were five attacks, the November 13th attack by the Islamic State killed 130 civilians and injured 268 more with guns, grenades, and various explosives. In July 2016, 86 were killed and 434 were injured when a man deliberately drove a cargo truck into a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day. In 2018 alone there were three separate attacks killing 13 and injuring 30. In 2019, an improvised explosive device was used to injure 13. Six separate attacks occurred in 2020, killing 9 and injuring 13.
With all of this terrorist activity, it is no wonder that the French are seeking new creative ways to protect against these terror attacks, and enlisting the help of eagles You may also like:
