Skip to main content

France is now using golden eagles to take down rogue drones

france trains eagles rogue drones golden eagle flight
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you happened to be in charge of taking down rogue drones, what solution would you go for? A shoulder-mounted, projectile-firing bazooka, perhaps? Or maybe an electromagnetic defense shield? Or how about something a little more low-tech, like a highly trained golden eagle?

The bird-based solution has been deemed the most effective by the French military, which this week showed off the impressive skills of its four new recruits, each one able to spot, chase, and grab a drone from the sky in the matter of just a few seconds.

The predatory creatures, which began training last year, were reared to associate the multi-rotor copters with a tasty meal.

Starting in the coming months, they’ll be used to intercept drones — mainly consumer models like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro or Mavic — spotted flying near some of the country’s military air bases, and could potentially be used to protect airspace over restricted areas such as airports and prisons.

Worst case scenario

Some security experts fear that terrorists could fit explosives or other materials to a drone and fly them into crowds or into sensitive locations like government buildings. Such an act occurred in 2015 when a political protester attached radioactive material to a quadcopter and landed it on the roof of the Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo.

With threats like this in mind, the eagles will form part of security efforts at special events such as Bastille Day, G20 summits that bring together leaders from around the world, and international conferences like last year’s climate summit in Paris.

Amazing moment a golden eagle tackles drone in mid-air as military chiefs train birds of prey to keep the skies safe https://t.co/kuhbDBulzT pic.twitter.com/qMDP1OwL7Y

— The Sun (@TheSun) February 12, 2017

The French government woke up to the potential threat posed by drones following a number of mysterious flights a couple of years ago around several of its nuclear power stations, as well as over famous Paris landmarks.

Commenting on alternative solutions for taking down rogue drones, a spokesperson for the French Air Force said, “In certain situations [where falling debris could land on a crowd], the drone cannot be shot down,” adding, “The eagle, along with other means, can enable us to intercept the craft without causing any further damage.”

It’s not the first time that the majestic creatures have been trained up to tackle illegal drone flights. Dutch police are already using the bird of prey for the same purpose, describing its method as “a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem.”

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Drones force one of the world’s busiest airports to suspend all flights
Biggest airplanes in the world

One of the world's busiest airports was forced to suspend or divert all flights on Wednesday night, December 19, over safety concerns when two drones were spotted flying close to the airfield.

The incident, which occurred at Gatwick Airport in southeast England, started just after 9 p.m. local time following "multiple reports" of two remotely controlled multi-rotor copters flying "over the runway," Chris Woodruff, Gatwick's chief operating officer, told the BBC.

Read more
Meet the game-changing pitching robot that can perfectly mimic any human throw
baseball hitter swings and misses

Who’s your favorite baseball pitcher? Shane McClanahan? Sandy Alcantara? Justin Verlander? Whoever you said, two of the top sports-tech companies in the U.S. -- Rapsodo and Trajekt Sports -- have teamed up to build a robot version of them, and the results are reportedly uncannily accurate.

Okay, so we’re not talking about walking-talking-pitching standalone robots, as great a sci-fi-tinged MLB ad as that would be. However, Rapsodo and Trajekt have combined their considerable powers to throw a slew of different technologies at the problem of building a machine that's able to accurately simulate the pitching style of whichever player you want to practice batting against -- and they may just have pulled it off, too.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more