We don't do what we want in the sky.
The air force and space intercepted, Friday, at the end of the afternoon, a helicopter which was heading towards Paris.
Shortly before 5 pm, "an unidentified civilian helicopter (EC130) was detected about a hundred kilometers north-west of Paris," said the Air and Space Force in a press release.
"Having entered the national airspace without radio contact beforehand, this helicopter was liable to commit an infringement of the civil aviation code", continues the army.
For more information, a Mirage-2000-5 quickly took off from the Evreux air base (Eure) and headed for the helicopter.
On social networks, many testimonies have reported the presence of the fighter plane and helicopters in the Parisian sky, sometimes worried, sometimes amused.
What is a mirage 2000 doing above Paris, followed by a helicopter out of the air? @Armee_de_lair
- Jerome BAPTISTE (@elpioupiou) March 12, 2021
Cool the little maneuvers of the plane above #paris #boulogne and #issy, a mirage?
pic.twitter.com/kI4AcOWRIU
- ave (@aveeeeeee_) March 12, 2021
Mirage 2000 plane over Paris pic.twitter.com/U8ApeKnLAv
- JM DAIX (@jmdaix) March 12, 2021
At the same time, another army helicopter takes off from the Villacoublay base (Yvelines).
The fighter plane, as close as possible to the helicopter, "carries out the first checks noting the elements of possible infringement", relates the air and space force, before the helicopter arrived. escorts the suspect helicopter.
A mission that will continue on the ground since the helicopter will land, a few minutes later, in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine).
According to Jean-Marc Tanguy, journalist specializing in military aviation, author of the blog "Le Mamouth", the device, registered in France, came from Great Britain.
The army did not specify what follow-up had been given.
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"In 2020, 560 abnormal situations were detected by the air force and space, the institution continues in its press release.
They led to 350 interventions by fighter planes and helicopters combined.
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