A secretive military unit specialising in drone warfare can be deployed to watch the sky over Rome and the Vatican throughout the funeral procession of Pope Francis.
As hundreds of mourners descend on St Peter’s Square, Italian authorities are enacting some of the complex operations in recent Vatican history.
The threat level has quietly been elevated – though not officially – which has prompted a series of heightened security measures across the capital.
Amongst them is a special unit trained in drone reconnaissance operations typically utilized in conflict zones.
Franco Fantozzi, senior security adviser at International SOS, revealed to Metro that they can be watching the Italian airspace for potential threats on Saturday.
‘I cannot name the unit – and so they are secretive – so that they don’t actually have a name throughout the military, but they can be watching the sky for drones,’ he said.
Airspace in Rome and Vatican closed
He also said that a ban on flights of any aircraft can be introduced throughout the farewell to the pontiff.
With greater than 30 years of experience within the Carabinieri, with command roles in units involved within the fight against organised crime and terrorism, Fantozzi can get contained in the mind of those policing the Vatican and Rome throughout the period of spiritual uncertainty.
Alongside a watchful eye on the sky, authorities can be monitoring River Tiber that flows through the capital and specializing in the crowds made up of pilgrims and tourists.
Security challenges ahead of funeral
Fantozzi stressed that there are several aspects raising the threat level – including the timing, because the pope died on Easter Monday, and the overflow of tourists in Rome.
But this time the safety challenge also extends beyond the borders of the Vatican.
Unlike his predecessors, Francis is not going to be laid to rest beneath St Peter’s Basilica in a break with centuries of tradition that represents his legacy as a more liberal leader.
His stays will as an alternative be transported to the Basilica of St Mary Major, on the Esquiline Hill, near Termini train station.
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This unusual final journey has triggered additional planning for the assorted police powers which might be collaborating within the operation.
Though Italian authorities haven’t shared official numbers yet, Fantozzi said that hundreds more officers – including plainclothes officers can be deployed in the times leading as much as the funeral.
This doesn’t look like an exaggeration because the parametre surrounding the Vatican is already swarmed with officers.
So is virtually every major intersection in Rome, turning traffic into a protracted nightmare.
This also implies that every step during Francis’ last journey can be under the watch of Vatican Gendarmerie, the Swiss Guard, and elite Italian units.
Currently, the Italian government has the threat level of a terrorist attack in Italy as ‘medium/high’, also referred to as Level 2.
Past incidents during papal funerals
While there have been no such incidents during papal funerals in recent memory, the danger profile is all the time high.
The funeral of Pope John Paul II in April 2005 drew greater than 4 million people to Rome and was certainly one of the most important gatherings of heads of state outside the UN.
Security appeared watertight, but about three hours after the funeral, an Italian F-16 fighter jet intercepted a suspicious plane heading to Rome’s Ciampino airport.
The aircraft was forced to land after intelligence sources warned it was carrying a bomb, but this later proved false.
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