The anti-intrusion water barrier is ready on the Seine in eastern Paris, and sonar equipment has been lowered to the bottom of the river: the French army is deploying ‘exceptional resources’ to secure the embarkation area for the 10,000 athletes who will be taking part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. A battalion of around 800 highly specialised soldiers has been deployed for almost 15 days for a large-scale security operation that will culminate on July 26. This is a "complex and unprecedented" mission, as Lieutenant Colonel Olivier, head of operations for the Ivry-Charenton battalion, pointed out during a presentation of the operation. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES