Massive "drone killer" guns attracted global attention at Pope Francis' funeral PHOTO

Striking images of heavily armed security personnel at the funeral of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City have sparked widespread attention on social media. One viral video posted by Argentine journalist Elisabetta Piqué showed soldiers carrying unusual weapons, prompting online speculation about their purpose and design as it gained more than five million views.

Italian special forces deployed cutting-edge “drone-killing” guns, known as Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), Caliber.Az reports citing Sky News, to be able to defend against any potential aerial threats during the high-profile ceremony that was witnessed by over 250,000 gatherers in St. Peter's Square together with almost 200 world leaders.

These weapons can jam signals between a drone and its operator, disabling or grounding the aircraft. One version spotted at the event was described by an Italian soldier as a “frequency jammer,” weighing around seven to eight kilograms and used by both the army and air force. Although these weapons have been in practice use for years, the soldier noted this was their first high-profile deployment. Accompanying troops used binoculars to scan the skies for threats.

Soldiers in combat gear were deployed to St Peter’s Square to protect against potential aerial terrorist threats. They operated alongside the Swiss Guard, the Vatican City’s historic military unit, which, while often perceived to be purely ceremonial, undergoes rigorous military training from the Swiss army.

Security measures at the funeral were described as unprecedented. NATO enforced a no-fly zone over the Vatican, while additional precautions included rooftop snipers, bomb squads, trained dogs, helicopters, and even naval forces with a destroyer stationed off the Italian coast of Fiumicino near Rome. Streets around the Vatican were locked down, and police boats patrolled the River Tiber that flows through the capital, also referred to as the "Eternal City", reflecting the gravity and sensitivity of the occasion.

Italian military police (Carabinieri) and local law enforcement were also heavily involved. Carabinieri chief Ciriaco Sarnelli called the coordination “an extraordinary operation,” while police spokesperson Elisabetta Accardo remarked that Italy hadn't dealt with a security event of this scale in “hundreds of years.”

The reason for the extreme precautions became clearer with the list of attending dignitaries. The guest list included US President Donald Trump, who had been the target of two assassination attempts last year, as well as former US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William and King Felipe of Spain, among others.

By Nazrin Sadigova