French Air Force Turning to Eagles to Tackle Drone Attacks

In the fight against armed drones that could possibly be used in a terrorist attack, the French Air Force has turned to a new and unique type of special force: eagles.

Drones can become a significant threat for a terrorist type of action in France, said the French Air Force team. Even though the present weapons to combat drones include emerging technologies like "jammers," the air force thinks that eagles can be the most economic and effective to defunct the devices.

L'Express Newspaper quoted an air force spokesperson stating that the eagles could come in handy in important events like major international conferences and the July 14 G20 meetings. In some situations, it's impossible to shoot down the drones since debris could fall onto people walking on the streets. The eagle can be used in such a case to arrest the device without causing any additional harm.

The birds underwent exhaustive training in the summer and have been taught that the drones contain food. As a result, when they see the devices, they seize them. The air force is training the birds not only to attack the drones but to identify them too. They will be used in real-life situations from the summer of next year. The Netherlands police has already used the tactic of using eagles to combat drones.

France has been plagued by the potential threat of drones in recent years. Authorities were surprised when they saw a series of strange drones flying over important landmarks in Paris last year. The decision to use eagles was taken when a spate of drones was observed in 2014 at major nuclear power stations in the country.

The birds were presented to the public by French Air Force last week. Authorities are concerned that terrorists are planning to place explosives on the more robust models and set them off remotely.