A number of high-profile drone espionage incidents have alarmed European NATO members—but it is not yet clear which adversary, if any, is responsible.
A year ago, a wave of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sightings occurred over the Eastern United States, notably near the Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. It came a year after multiple drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, in late 2023.
This past week has seen UAV flights similar to the New Jersey ones—this time over a Belgian military base near the Dutch border, beginning on Saturday evening. On Sunday, a helicopter was deployed to Kleine-Brogel Air Base to track the drones, which flew off towards the Netherlands. An investigation is now underway, and state broadcaster RTBF reported that the first phase involved “small drones to test the radio frequencies [of Belgium’s security services],” with the second incursion being “big drones to destabilize the area and people.”
“Spy Drones”—but from Where?
Although Russian drones had crossed into Polish airspace earlier this year, Brussels has not conclusively identified a source of the recent UAV sightings over Kleine-Brogel Air Base. Nor has it pointed fingers at Moscow.
“I have some ideas, but I’m going to be cautious,” Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Francken told the BBC on Monday.
However, Francken had told CNN affiliate RTBF that the targets were obvious.
“They [the drones] come to spy, to see where the F-16s are, where the munitions are, and other highly strategic things,” Francken explained.
Kleine-Brogel Air Base, the largest military facility in a NATO member, is home to the 10th Tactical Wing, which operates the F-16. It is part of the nuclear sharing mission for the international military alliance and is believed to store a number of US B61 nuclear bombs. The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimates that there are at least 100 American nuclear weapons at six NATO bases in five countries. That includes Kleine-Brogel Air Base. Exactly how many weapons are at each base is a highly guarded secret.
Francken would neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at the facility.
Europe Is Drowning in Illicit Drone Activity
This is not the first time in recent months that drones have been spotted in the skies over Western Europe. The BBC reported that UAVs were also spotted at other Belgian military bases, including Leopoldsburg in the central part of the country and Marche-en-Famenne in the southeast. Drones were also spotted at the Antwerp Deurne airport.
Just last month, Germany’s Munich International Airport was forced to suspend operations twice in 24 hours after drones were spotted in its airspace.
Although some of these could be hobbyist drones or civilian-operated, a drone spotted over a Danish airport in September was described as being operated by a “professional actor.”
Though some within NATO were inclined to blame Russia—which has previously used drone incursions as a form of hybrid warfare against the West—Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also told the BBC that there was “no evidence” that Russia was behind that incursion.
Belgium’s Minister Francken did state that Russia has deployed drones “in all European countries,” but likewise would not directly point blame at the Kremlin.
As for shooting down the drones, Francken has said it may be a matter of where the drones are at the time.
“When they’re over a military base, we can shoot the drones down,” the minister suggested. “When it’s nearby, we have to be very careful because they can fall on a house, a car, a person. That’s completely different.”
The other issue is that most bases and airports simply aren’t prepared to shoot down a drone.
“We should have bought air defense systems five or 10 years ago,” said Francken. Drones arrived on the scene so quickly that it has left military bases and airports unprepared.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Gargantiopa.
