El Haïry was quizzed in the French Senate by opposition politician Cédric Perrin, who said he feared the system would not be in place for next year's Olympics and Paralympics or the Rugby World Cup in September and October.

"It seems today that the solution is absolutely not operational," he said, according to TFI.

Last month, France announced that it would deploy 35,000 military and security personnel to protect the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony from threats including drone attacks.

Organisers have created additional safety challenges by opting to hold the Ceremony on the River Seine with boats full of athletes.

Crowds of more than 600,000 people could line the riverbank and French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said drones were a "totally new threat".

They can be slow moving and low flying and have the capability of being flown above a crowd at a sporting event, potentially while carrying explosives. 

El Haïry said that the anti-drone system had fallen behind schedule and was "the subject of some difficulties".

However, she claimed the problems are in the process of being resolved without giving a date for completion.

The system should have been ready this spring, TFI said.

French companies are designing the system which is said to have the capacity to detect and take out micro and mini drones.

The Government has already pledged €350 million (£300 million/$377 million) for the fight against drones with the possibility of jamming them or using lasers. 

El Haïry said France "will face" the new threat.