The French government continues to prepare for the expected success of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, from beach volleyball with the Eiffel Tower in background, horse riding in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, the opening ceremony of the Seine River, and even laser weapons for protection.

Yes, it sounds futuristic, but the fact is, laser weapons will be used. In this case, they will be able to shoot and drop down drones from the sky, thus they will "join" the security of the upcoming Olympic Games.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced last June (2023) that a prototype anti-drone laser weapon system, called HELMA-P, had been ordered to protect the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"The HELMA-P system provides a calibrated response to drone threats, from jamming drone surveillance sensors to neutralizing a mini or micro drone (from 100g to 25kg) by affecting its structure, causing it to fall in seconds," says the ministry in a statement from August 3/2023.

Affecting the drone structure is a great way of saying burn a hole through any potential drone.

The prototype will also help improve the military's skills in its use, as the campaign against drones is a priority set by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces for the period 2019-2025, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tells CNN that safety at the Olympics is the responsibility of local authorities.

The HELMA-P system can fire powerful laser beams, heating drones to the point where they catch fire or overheating and deadly, according to Jean, chief armaments engineer at the ministry's Directorate General of Armaments, which is responsible for developing and purchasing the weapons.

The ministry refuses to expose Jean's last name for security reasons. The threat of drones has increased exponentially in recent years, including for major events like the Olympics, according to Philippe Gros, a senior fellow at the French security and defense think tank Foundation for Strategic Research.

Drones can be used to scan and search specific areas to identify potential target locations. They can also be modified to carry weapons or explosives. Mini drones directed by French systems are playing an active role on the front line in Ukraine.

In addition to the laser device, the anti-drone system will also include radar and radio frequency sensors to help locate the drone. Once identified, the weapon, developed by CILAS, which is owned by French defense giant ArianeGroup, has a firing range of one kilometer, according to Jean.

But using such a powerful weapon in densely populated Paris, where visitors from around the world gather to celebrate the Olympics, raises security concerns.

"An important part of the anti-drone laser program is the safe operation of this weapon," said Jean.

It is up to the teams working on the ground to take down the drone or not. "This decision will take into account the fact that taking down a damaged drone can cause some harm," Jean says. Laser weapon systems are also one of the most cost-effective ways to deal with the growing threat of drones in urban areas, according to experts.

"One of the reasons why lasers are attractive is that, compared to interceptor missiles, there are no explosives involved and even if the drone explodes, only the debris will fall. In general, it does less damage," Gros told CNN.

Laser weapons offer other advantages, including precision and low operating costs; they don't require ammunition, which helps explain their growing popularity among militaries such as the United States, China, France and Britain, according to Gross.

Specifically for drone deterrence, the HELMA-P system and other similar laser weapon systems fill a gap where traditional anti-drone tools struggle to keep up with new developments in drone technology.

"The problem is that drones are becoming more and more autonomous, they can fly many parts of a mission without an operator," Gros said. This means traditional means of signal jamming between drones and operators could become obsolete.

Currently, anti-drone laser weapons still have many weaknesses. For example, bad weather affects its accuracy and efficiency. The industry is still learning, according to Gros.

For tourists visiting Paris in 2024, the Ministry of the Armed Forces assures that its laser guns will not be too distracting to the public.

"The system is quite stealth, it doesn't emit light. Because the laser is actually invisible. It also doesn't make a sound. It's actually a very secret weapon," Jean straightforward.