Euro 2016 Security Head Ziad Khoury confirmed that anti-drone technology “will be deployed during the competition to prevent possible stadium and training ground flyovers,” according to RMC SPORT. Set to start seven months after the Paris terrorist attacks, Euro 2016 will “take place in an atmosphere heavy with security measures.” Part of the concerns for organizers is the “proliferation of drones.” Khoury said, “No-fly zones will be defined for each training ground and stadium. For the majority of matches, anti-drone measures -- which will be fairly innovative -- will be deployed, in collaboration with the government, which can intercept the drones and take control of them once they are identified.” Last month, the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Étienne was host to a “simulated chemical attack from a drone.” Khoury said, “When you prepare for an event of this size, you have to imagine all the scenarios, even the most improbable.” He added that the technology is “not necessarily foolproof.” Khoury: “Drones are a recent phenomenon. So these dissuasive measures did not exist at previous sporting events. The idea is not to destroy the drones, because that could cause collateral damage, especially if they crash into the public. The goal is to prevent them from flying over stadiums and maybe arresting the pilots” (RMC SPORT, 5/17).
