France is sending a Fennec helicopter and a 35-member team to Denmark to provide counter-drone security during the EU summit in Copenhagen on October 1–2. The deployment responds to recent unidentified drone incursions over Danish airspace and growing regional security concerns.
The French Ministry of Armed Forces confirmed on September 29 that the French Air and Space Force Fennec, along with a joint detachment, will operate in coordination with Danish authorities. The mission includes an additional counter-drone package and highlights France’s support for a key ally while ensuring safe airspace during a high-profile political event.
The Fennec is a light, agile helicopter designed for low-speed air policing, close interception, and surveillance of critical urban sites. Typically operating with two pilots and two precision shooters, it can carry electro-optical sensors, searchlights, and loudspeakers for day and night operations. Shooters often use 7.62 mm rifles for kinetic drone neutralization, supplemented by handheld electronic jammers to disrupt UAV controls.
A Fennec detachment offers three key advantages over ground systems: persistent coverage of a mobile hotspot, short-range positive identification, and a tiered response ranging from radio warnings to electronic jamming or, as a last resort, gunfire. Operations are closely coordinated with police, air traffic control, and joint air operations cells. Weather and dense airspace can limit helicopter maneuvering, making the deployment deliberately focused, time-limited, and threat-specific.
Danish authorities imposed temporary drone flight restrictions and flagged Russia as the likely source of pressure operations. France’s deployment is thus a targeted, time-bound measure aimed at maintaining airspace security and rapid threat assessment during a high-visibility summit.
