Overview
- Belgian officials logged three reports of larger, high‑altitude drones over Kleine‑Brogel on Oct. 31–Nov. 1, with a helicopter and police losing one drone after several kilometers.
- Defense Minister Theo Francken said the aircraft were conducting surveillance of F‑16s, munitions and other strategic assets, describing a two‑phase operation using small drones followed by larger systems.
- A jammer deployed at the base did not neutralize the UAVs, which Francken attributed to adversaries shifting frequencies beyond the system’s settings.
- Authorities reported the incident to military intelligence and will meet local police to pursue the operators, as legal limits complicate shooting down drones near populated areas.
- The government will table a €50 million counter‑UAS package for interdepartmental review Tuesday and cabinet consideration Friday, as European allies confront a wider surge of unexplained drone incursions at bases and airports.