Although it has not been confirmed which RAF anti-drone team is in Paris, the force’s 2 Force Protection Wing, based at RAF Leeming, is understood to have developed pioneering technology for countering potential drone attacks.
A statement from the RAF said in 2022 that it has technology to “detect, track, identify and, if necessary, defeat hostile drones, improving the protection of key infrastructure including air bases around the UK and Overseas”.
Sniffer dog teams under police control across the UK are also held in high esteem, the Olympics source added, without further explanation.
The scale of security in Paris has been obvious as soon as Team GB athletes arrived on their Eurostar trains from London. Athletes have described being flanked and outnumbered by French gendarmes as they are transported to the athletes’ village.
Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet acknowledged “there’s a balance to be found between perfect security” and ensuring the Games remain enjoyable for spectators and athletes.
However, he said at a press conference on Sunday: “The base is how we can guarantee the security for the spectators and for the athletes. That’s why there is an unprecedented system of security in our country in Paris, particularly to make sure that security will be there.”