Brussels – Unidentified drone overflights continue in the heart of Europe. Belgium now appears to be the latest victim, following the incidents of a few weeks ago. Sightings were repeated during the night between Friday (October 31) and Saturday, and again between Saturday and Sunday. This time, the aircraft flew over the Kleine Brogel military base, 100 kilometers from Brussels, and another approached Antwerp airport.
“These drones are looking for something or mapping the area,” said Defense Minister Theo Francken with little doubt. Who is behind the operations is still unclear, but the minister offers one possible explanation: “It seems likely that this is something serious. Think, for example, of Russia. But I must be cautious, because there is no formal evidence.”
The episode is concerning because it is not an isolated case. Earlier this month, several drones flew over the Elsenborn military camp, and a similar incident occurred in the skies above Marche-en-Famenne, where the Ardennes Light Infantry is stationed.
This weekend’s event raises the bar by targeting Belgium’s most extensive military base at Kleine Brogel. Here, according to some NATO sources, US nuclear warheads are present, and the most technologically advanced elements of the Belgian army are deployed. In the coming months, for example, sixth-generation F-35 fighter jets purchased from the United States will be operational.
According to initial reconstructions, the overflight occurred at a high altitude. The Belgian armed forces attempted to interfere by jamming (releasing electromagnetic waves) techniques to shoot down the aircraft, but the attempt was unsuccessful. In addition, to disrupt the overflight, a Belgian Air Force helicopter took off in pursuit of the drone, but it managed to escape.
The failure testifies to the fact that the European armed forces are only partly prepared to counter threats from the sky. As a countermeasure, the Defense Minister announced on Thursday, November 6, a EUR 50 million plan for the purchase of new air defense systems. “This package includes a standardized signaling system, but also the purchase of anti-drone systems and a whole range of detection equipment,” reassured Theo Francken at the center of the controversy after the breaches of recent days.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
