Drones spotted over Belgian base storing US nuclear weapons
It is currently unclear what the purpose of the drone launch was (Photo: Getty Images)
On the night of November 1, unidentified drones were spotted in Belgium. They appeared over the Kleine-Brogel airbase in the town of Peer, where US nuclear weapons are stored, according to HLN.
According to the town’s mayor, Steven Matheï, a barracks employee noticed the drone. Police arrived at the scene but found nothing.
“Upon arriving, the police did not find either the drone or its pilot. The report has been forwarded to the Ministry of Defense and military intelligence,” the mayor said.
It is currently unclear whether the drone was intended for espionage or to create panic. However, the municipality has requested that the Ministry of Defense meet with local police in the coming days and weeks to ensure proper arrangements for increased vigilance.
“It is extremely important… to maintain necessary vigilance around the airbase, and we expect the Ministry of Defense to provide the required security,” added the mayor of Peer.
When asked if a similar incident could happen again, he said that the geopolitical situation is currently unstable, and they don’t know what will happen, so they must be prepared for anything.
Belgium’s Minister of Defense, Theo Francken, confirmed that several drones were detected over the base and stated that the investigation is ongoing. On his social media, he wrote that the country needs additional CUAS equipment to detect and neutralize drones.
“Next week, the Ministry of Defense will meet with local police to analyze and escalate the threat so that we can find and arrest the drone operators. Drone flights over military sites are strictly prohibited. The Ministry of Defense must do everything possible to take down these drones,” he concluded.
The Kleine-Brogel airbase is where US nuclear weapons are stored and will soon host an F-35 fighter jet base.
HLN also reported that drones were detected over the Leopoldsburg military base last night. However, the Kampenhout police district has no information about this incident.
A few days ago, unidentified drones were also spotted over one of Belgium’s military bases, with the incident occurring twice. Following the events, police and military intelligence launched an investigation.
“Our security post in Marche-en-Famenne noticed several drones flying over key parts of our army brigade headquarters on Saturday evening for an extended period,” the defense minister said.
