Illegal flyovers, sensitive sites targeted, €50 million plan: Belgium is stepping up its anti-drone defenses in the face of what has become a strategic threat.
Summary
Belgium has decided to take action in response to the increase in unidentified drone flights over sensitive sites. Airports, military bases, and areas linked to nuclear weapons storage have been affected by flights deemed abnormal, sometimes repeated, and often impossible to attribute with certainty. These incidents have highlighted the limitations of existing systems. In response, Brussels has launched a €50 million anti-drone plan, aimed at the accelerated acquisition of surveillance radars, electro-optical sensors, and neutralization systems, including anti-drone guns. The objective is clear: detect earlier, identify faster, and respond unambiguously. Behind these measures lie major issues of sovereignty, air safety, and deterrence. Belgium is not preparing for a hypothetical scenario. It is responding to an already present, multifaceted, and difficult-to-attribute threat, where state actors, criminals, or militants can exploit low-cost civilian technologies to test, disrupt, or collect intelligence.
The warning signal from unexplained overflights
For several months, Belgium has been confronted with a series of illegal drone flights near or above critical infrastructure. These flights have been reported around civilian airports, military sites, and sensitive areas linked to NATO’s nuclear deterrence. In several cases, the authorities have been unable to quickly identify the aircraft or their operators.
This is a cause for concern. Even a small drone does not need to carry a payload to pose a threat. Its mere presence can disrupt air traffic, trigger emergency procedures, or reveal security flaws. The repeated nature of certain incidents has convinced the Belgian authorities that these are no longer isolated or anecdotal acts.
A €50 million anti-drone plan
In response to this situation, the Belgian government has approved a €50 million investment plan to rapidly strengthen anti-drone capabilities. This budget targets several complementary areas, with priority given to speed of implementation.
Belgium is not starting from scratch. Resources already existed, particularly around major airports and certain military sites. But they were fragmented, sometimes obsolete, and above all insufficient in the face of an evolving and mobile threat. The new plan aims for a coherent ramp-up on a national scale.
The systems targeted by Belgium
The Belgian program is based on a logic of successive layers. No single system can respond to all threats.
Detection by specialized radars
Small drones pose a specific challenge. Their radar cross-section is very small. Their speed is low. Their altitude is variable. Conventional radars, designed for airplanes or helicopters, are ill-suited.
Belgium is therefore investing in radars dedicated to drone detection, capable of tracking slow-moving targets at low altitude, sometimes just a few dozen meters above the ground (approximately 30 to 100 meters). These sensors are essential for providing early warning and avoiding delayed reactions.
Optical and electro-optical sensors
Radar detects. It does not always identify. The second layer relies on optical and infrared sensors capable of visually classifying a drone. This step is crucial in distinguishing between a recreational device, a professional drone, or a more sophisticated vector.
Identification determines the response. Shooting or jamming without certainty can create more problems than it solves, especially in urban areas.
Anti-drone guns and jamming
Among the equipment mentioned are anti-drone guns, non-kinetic weapons that jam radio links or satellite navigation signals. Their range generally varies between 500 meters and 2 kilometers depending on the model and the environment.
These systems are suitable for the occasional protection of fixed sites. They can force a drone to land, return to its point of departure, or become inert. Their limitation is clear: they require a line of sight and are not very effective against multiple or autonomous attacks.
Risks far beyond simple overflight
Illegal overflights are not harmless. They expose several categories of risks, which are often underestimated.
The risk to air safety
A drone near an airport can lead to the immediate suspension of takeoffs and landings. In Europe, several incidents have already caused temporary closures, with significant economic consequences. A drone weighing just a few kilograms can seriously damage an engine or cockpit windshield.
Military and strategic risk
Flying over a military base or a site linked to nuclear weapons is not a matter of curiosity. It can be used to gather intelligence, test response times, or map security systems. Even without a payload, a drone can transmit sensitive images and data.
The risk of demonstration or provocation
Some flights may be intended to send a message. Showing that it is possible to approach a protected site without being intercepted is in itself a form of message. In a tense international context, this type of action blurs the lines between civil incident, espionage, and intimidation.
Who could be behind these drone flights
Attributing a flight is often more difficult than detecting it. Several profiles are possible.
Amateur or irresponsible operators
Civilian drones are widely available on the European market. Some users are unaware of or deliberately circumvent restrictions. This scenario exists, but it does not adequately explain repeated flights over highly sensitive areas.
Criminal networks
Criminal groups already use drones for trafficking, surveillance, or clandestine deliveries. Their interest in sensitive sites may be indirect, particularly to test capabilities or exploit security flaws.
State or parastatal actors
This is the most sensitive hypothesis. State actors may use civilian or semi-military drones to carry out gray operations that are difficult to attribute. The low cost and plausibility of denial make this mode of action attractive. Belgium, as a host country for NATO structures, is a logical target.
Activists or ideological groups
Some groups may seek media or symbolic impact. Flying over a nuclear or military site attracts attention and creates a political shockwave, even without any immediate destructive intent.
The current limits of anti-drone protection
Despite the investments, we must remain realistic. There is no such thing as perfect anti-drone protection.
Systems are often designed for specific scenarios. They struggle in the face of coordinated attacks or autonomous drones programmed without radio links. Jamming becomes ineffective when navigation relies on inertial sensors.
Furthermore, the physical neutralization of a drone over an urban area raises legal and safety issues. Shooting down a device can cause collateral damage.
A Belgian response that is part of a European trend
Belgium is not an isolated case. Several European countries are strengthening their anti-drone capabilities, often after similar incidents. What sets Brussels apart is the speed and clarity of its budgetary response.
The amount of €50 million may seem modest in terms of defense, but it reflects a growing awareness. The drone threat is no longer marginal. It is part of everyday national security.
A broader doctrinal evolution
Beyond equipment, it is doctrine that is evolving. Anti-drone defense can no longer be confined to specialized units. It concerns the armed forces, the police, civil aviation authorities, and managers of sensitive sites.
Belgium is now seeking to integrate anti-drone detection and response into broader chains of command, capable of sharing information in real time and making quick decisions.
A lasting threat, not a passing crisis
Drones will continue to multiply. They will become more autonomous, more discreet, and more accessible. The Belgian decision shows one thing: waiting for a serious incident to react would be a strategic mistake.
Anti-drone defense is not a race for the ultimate technology. It is ongoing risk management, involving compromise, coordination, and anticipation. The mysterious flyovers served as a wake-up call. The real question now is whether this increase in capabilities will be sufficient to counter a threat that will not wait.
Sources
Communications from the Belgian Ministry of Defense on the anti-drone plan
Public statements by Belgian airport authorities
NATO analyses on the threat of civilian and military drones
European reports on the protection of critical infrastructure
Specialized publications on drone detection and neutralization systems
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