Its an unauthorized vehicle over key infrastructure. Wouldn't even result in a loss of lives. So shoot it down & wait for the owner to start bitching (or not).
Uh, seriously? Destroying other people's stuff just because you can't check where it flew from? Do they even know that the drones are a threat to anything or are you just gung-ho on shooting anything you don't like? Is there even a reason why drones shouldn't be flown over a power plant? Is it even illegal in France?
As far as I know, in most EU countries, even the security and police forces can't just destroy other people's stuff without a very good reason (and no, an unarmed piece of electronics it not a good enough threat to use firearm in most EU law systems). Firing a firearm is a serious disciplinary matter for a policeman and he has to prove that other people were in IMMEDIATE and SERIOUS danger before they can even pull a gun out of it's holster. About a year ago, the constitutional court in my country (Slovenia) just released a ruling clearly stating that protection of human life (criminal or otherwise) is the primary objective for the police, so they are NOT ALLOWED to even shoot at criminals unless they're defending their own and life of others. Shooting at flying toys is clearly out of the question under such directive and I'm very happy that is so.
So what if they're buzzing above a nuclear power plant? What is it about a 20kg toy that makes you so afraid of consequences over a powerplant encased in several m thick concrete safety housing that makes so so scared you'd shoot at stuff?!
What's the next step? Issuing shotguns to school security so they'll shoot at children's RC cars that MIGHT carry terrorist explosives?
Carry explosives? No man...cameras. Try running onto an army base or any other strategic asset, randomly photograph things & see how that works out for you.
Last time I was at army base with a camera they didn't shoot me. Or when I was at a nuclear power plant (yes, there are actual tours. No, in last 35 years no terrorists came around... anywhere in EU).
The plans are public anyway, since the plant was paid by public money.
"The plant"? You do realize this happened at 15 plants already? i.e. Someone is systematically doing fly-overs.
Bonus fact: I've been dragged to a police station before for photographing a national key asset - wasn't EU though. All a misunderstand of course... :D
You could make sure your security forces understand exactly where they can shoot, but still, is it worth the risk to have bullets falling somewhere in a nuclear facility?
Presumably they would use shotguns and not regular bullets. I don't know if that's that much less dangerous, but people do shoot at targets and birds like that all the time.
My point is disproportionate response. A drone is nowhere near a security risk that would require a shooting response.
Same as we're not using SAM sites to shoot down Cessnas that accidentaly blunder into no-fly zones over airports, powerplants and other bases just because they MIGHT (and in 99.9999999999999999999999+% cases they're not) cause some damage.
I'm very very concerned just how the terrorist scare is trying to turn our countries into police states ruled by fear.
>is it worth the risk to have bullets falling somewhere in a nuclear facility?
The bullets aren't the issue. Nuclear facilities are usually not built from cardboard & prefab. The size of the drone is more the question - these seem to be smallish ones so it should be reasonably safe to have it drop near the plant.
Its an unauthorized vehicle over key infrastructure. Wouldn't even result in a loss of lives. So shoot it down & wait for the owner to start bitching (or not).