Rotorhub
PARIS 2009: Protecting Le Bourget
An airborne ring of steel was thrown around this year's Paris Air Show, but not that you would have noticed.
Thousands of Gendarmes and members of the Police Nationale were on duty on the ground and there were even rumours of surface-to-air missile sites in the trees.
But protection of the Le Bourget skies however fell to the crews of EC03.067 'Parisis' the French Air Force's Paris-based squadron of AS355 Fennec helicopters who are responsible for air policing, known as MASA, or 'mesure active de surete aerienne'.
Rotorhub.com visited the squadron, based at Villacoublay in May. Located in a corner of the base, the unit has eight helicopters, and at least one crew is available on a quick reaction alert status 24 hours a day.
In the event of a scramble, the squadron's aircraft are called in by the French Air Defence Network if they detect a potential slow-moving, low-altitude threat. The helicopters are expected to be airborne within seven minutes during the day and within 15 minutes at night. Each helicopter carries two pilots and two 'sharpshooters'
The requirement was born in 1988 when a rogue light aircraft pilot dubbed the 'Baron Noir' buzzed the centre of Paris several times. Although he caused no harm at the time, the French authorities realised that a light aircraft had the potential to be used for terror attacks.
Since then, the MASA mission has seen the unit guarding numerous public and high-profile events such as G8 Summits, sports events as well as the Paris Air Show itself. The squadron also got involved in the air policing of the recent 65th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in Normandy. The squadron also guard the airspace of Paris and areas around nuclear power plants.
Lt Col Jerome Fleith of the unit said: "Like the Gendarmerie use helicopters to police the ground, the Air Force are using helicopters to police the air."
Lt Col Fleith said the unit was called out 10-12 times a year average but these were usually down to pilots getting disorientated or lost. So far the sharpshooters had never been used in anger and the squadron does not discuss its tactics in the event that they would be, but it is likely that the sharpshooters might be required to disable the pilot or the aircraft engine if required by higher authorities.
Since September 11, other countries have adopted the French MASA model, among them the US Coast Guard, who are using MH-65 Dolphins to protect Washington DC from low-altitude, slow-moving threats.
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