AWACS, jets and snipers to secure airspace for Olympics

WADDINGTON, England (Reuters) - As crowds gather to watch this year's Olympic opening ceremony in London, highly trained eyes on the ground and in the sky will be keeping tabs on every aircraft over the southeast of Britain.

The first major rehearsal of a joint operation featuring fighter jets, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes, helicopters, missile batteries and air-to-air snipers took place two hours north of London on Wednesday, in a plan to supplement Britain's normal airspace security for the games.