Belgium says unidentified drones spied on F-16s, ammunition
Photo: Belgian Defense Minister Théo Francken (Getty Images)
Belgian Defense Minister Théo Francken reported that unidentified drones spotted over the Kleine-Brogel military base were spying on fighter jets and ammunition, Politico reports.
"They (the drones -ed.) come to spy, to see where the F-16s are, where the ammunition is, and other highly strategic information," Francken said.
Francken did not directly blame Russia but hinted that he sees no other likely violators of Belgium's airspace.
"The Russians are trying to do this in all European countries. Is it the Russians now? I can't say that, but the motives are clear and the ways of doing things like this are also very clear," he emphasized.
He added that it is now "truly a drone war" and said the Defense Department must be prepared for it.
Unidentified drones over Belgium
On the night of Saturday, November 1, unidentified drones were spotted in Belgian airspace over the Kleine-Brogel airbase in Peer, where American nuclear weapons are stored. Police arrived at the scene but did not find any drones or operators.
A few days earlier, unidentified drones were also spotted over another Belgian military base — twice. Following those sightings, police and military intelligence launched an investigation.
Francken described the incident as "an obviously planned operation against the heart" of the Belgian army. He suggested that the unknown drones were likely seeking information about critical infrastructure on the military site.
