C-UAV demands put BASSALT to the test
French soldiers with a Nerod F5 microwave jammer rifle. (Photo: Jean-Marc Tanguy)
A counter-UAV system originally developed for the civil aviation sector is being used in Mali to protect French forces.
In recent years, Western forces have noticed the increased use of small UAVs by Islamist terrorist groups, including attacks in Iraq and Syria.
The situation is slightly different in Africa, where Boko Haram and Islamic State have (so far) not used armed mini-UAVs. However, French units deployed in West Africa are striving to deploy adequate countermeasures against the risk of future swarming UAV attacks.
In March 2021, the French Air Force deployed the BASSALT counter-UAV (C-UAV) solution in Operation Barkhane in Niger and Mali. This system is derived from efforts by French airport operator Paris Aéroport to detect UAVs
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