UK deploys anti-drone specialists to Belgium after string of incursions
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Britain has pledged to support Belgium in tackling a wave of drone incursions that have disrupted air traffic and raised security concerns. UK Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton announced that Britain will deploy personnel and anti-drone equipment to Belgium following a request from Belgian authorities. The decision comes after multiple sightings of unidentified drones near Brussels and Liège airports, as well as around a military base known to host US nuclear weapons.
Knighton told the BBC that both countries are still investigating the source of the incursions, adding that the UK’s advanced counter-drone capabilities are already being deployed to assist Belgium. Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that a team of Royal Air Force specialists will lead the operation, describing it as an example of allied cooperation against “hybrid threats.”
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken thanked the UK for its swift response, suggesting that some of the drone activity may have been linked to espionage rather than amateur interference. The incidents follow a wider pattern of drone disruptions across Europe, which some officials have connected to Russian hybrid operations. Belgium’s role as host to NATO, the EU, and major financial institutions has heightened the sensitivity of these incursions.
