During the July 14th parade, as part of the aerial display, a drone will fly over the Champs-Élysées for the first time. The aircraft is American and is used by the French military to track jihadists in the Sahel.
The July 14th parade is one of the highlights that the public looks forward to. This year, alongside the Rafales and Mirages, an unmanned aircraft will make its appearance. It is the American Reaper drone, which translates to « the reaper » in French. With a wingspan of nearly 15 meters, the aircraft is quite impressive. These drones have been deployed in the Sahel-Saharan region for the past eight years.
Tracking jihadists in Africa The mission of these drones is to gather intelligence and track jihadists at an altitude of 9,000 meters, making them an essential tool in this vast desert expanse. The drone headquarters is located at the Cognac Air Base in Charente. It is here that the military personnel undergo training before heading to Africa. During the upcoming July 14th parade, the Reaper will depart from Cognac in the morning, participate in the parade, and return to base four hours later. The pilot, on the other hand, will have flown over the Champs-Élysées solely from their control screen.
Source : francetvinfo
