Unmanned aircraft are among a raft of new security measures being brought in

These include stadium fly-overs by Air Force jets and helicopters kitted out with surveillance equipment

Confederations Cup is being seen as a 'dry run' for next year's World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics

Brazilian police are to use surveillance drones to monitor crowds at the Confederations Cup football tournament, paving the way for their use at next year's World Cup.

The unmanned aircraft are among a raft of security measures being brought in including thermal cameras, stadium fly-overs by Air Force fighter jets and helicopters kitted out with surveillance equipment including high-resolution, night-vision and thermal cameras.

The Confederations Cup football tournament gets underway this weekend, with thousands of fans from across the world expected to attend.

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Eye in the sky: Brazilian police are to use surveillance drones at the Confederation Cup football tournament ahead of next year's World Cup

But experts say visitors will be immediately vulnerable to street crime once they venture away from secured areas.

They may run even a greater risk than usual, as many police are being taken from their regular street duties to patrol areas around the stadiums.

Last week Sportsmail columnist Adrian Durham was mugged at knifepoint in Rio de Janeiro after England's friendly against Brazil.

Officials said they've deployed the most extensive security apparatus ever in what is regarded as a dry run for next year's World Cup.

'We are strongly concerned with ensuring safety and security to all our athletes, tourists, heads of state and delegations,' Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo told reporters on a conference call earlier this week.

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Last month police staged a series of drills with participants acting as football hooligans attacking police
Some 45,000 personnel will be deployed in the tournament's six host cities, according to SESGE, the government agency created in 2011 to coordinate security at the mega-events.

According to SESGE, one guard will be assigned for every 50 spectators at the matches, which kick off on Saturday when Brazil plays Japan in the tournament's opening game in the capital, Brasilia.

In addition to 3,500 military police officers, the security detail at Saturday's match will also include a battalion of riot police with two armored vehicles, a canine unit of sniffer dogs trained to detect drugs and explosives as well as eight sharpshooters, said Fabio Pizetta, the head of Brazilia's riot police division.

As host for the event, as well as a papal visit in July, next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, Brazil's government is going to great lengths to curb crime and violence.

But the country still has an alarmingly high murder rate, and armed thefts and carjackings continue to be facts of daily life.

Express kidnappings, where individuals are abducted and forced to withdraw funds from automated teller machines to secure their release, are common, as are muggings, robberies, pickpocketing, bag snatching and drug dealing.

Following the partial collapse of the roof of the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador there were grave concerns that the tournament may not go as smoothly as planned.

The Fonte Nova Participacoes (FNP) group, which manages the stadium, is adamant the collapse of the roof was nothing more than a freak disturbance.

Brazil's preparations for the World Cup are believed to be behind schedule and two of the six stadiums scheduled for use at this month's tournament missed FIFA's deadline.

Last month police staged a series of rigorous training exercises in preparation for the Confederation Cup which saw participants posing as hooligans staging mock riots.

There was also similar training exercises in Rio de Janeiro, where the military practised their crowd control routines and the Navy were drilled to guard against any potential terrorist attacks.