One of the most sensitive people in the world is about to visit Monaco. The principality has sought protection from France. The Air and Space Army will deploy a “protection bubble” to secure the official visit of Pope Leon XIV planned for Saturday in the principality, amidst yachts and casinos, according to a statement on Thursday.
These “protection bubbles” are specific aerial security devices (DPSA) in military parlance. They are deployed in about twenty events per year, whether for the military parade on July 14th, meetings of heads of state on French territory, or international sports events hosted in France.
For the visit of the pontiff, this DPSA will include an E3-F AWACS radar plane, a Rafale fighter jet, a Fennec helicopter, and a Phénix A330 MRTT refueling plane. French military personnel and experts will also be alongside the Monegasque command. The objective? Prevent any aerial intrusion during the visit.
The Air and Space Army, alongside the police, gendarmerie, and Navy, will also coordinate the anti-drone fight during the Pope’s visit to Monaco.
The Fennec helicopter will play a predominant role in this anti-drone fight. “It can intervene against relatively slow and low-altitude threats. On board, two onboard shooters will be equipped with a NEROD-RF jamming rifle that can disrupt the connection between a drone and its pilot,” explained the army.
In the streets of the principality, adorned with the yellow and white flags of the Vatican, a heavy device by the Monegasque authorities – comparable to that set up for the Formula 1 Grand Prix – has been put in place, with closed traffic lanes, giant screens, and barriers along the “Popemobile” route.
Arrival of the Pope by helicopter
Pope Leon XIV’s visit is set to last eight hours on Saturday, marking the first by a pope to the territory of barely 2 km², nestled between sea and mountains, in contemporary times.
He is expected to arrive by helicopter – a diplomatic subtlety avoiding landing on French soil – before being welcomed with honors at 9:30 am at the princely palace, the official residence of the Grimaldi dynasty since the 13th century.
Leon XIV will have a private discussion with Albert II, whom he hosted in January at the Vatican. The two men share concerns about ecology and a passion for sports – the 70-year-old pope enjoys swimming and tennis. This tête-à-tête will be followed by a balcony greeting, after which the pontiff will visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to meet the Catholic community.
At 11:45, the Pope will deliver a speech to young people and catechumens – adults preparing for baptism, whose numbers have been increasing in recent years – on the square of the Sainte-Dévote church, dedicated to Monaco’s patron saint.
The climax will be at 3:30 pm at the Louis-II Stadium: 15,000 people are expected in the venue, typically home to the Monegasque football club, for an open-air mass. All tickets were reserved within a few days.
