Drones Spotted Near Belgian Air Base Housing Nuclear Weapons, Prompting Investigation
Kleine Brogel, an air base in eastern Belgium located just over 10 kilometers from the Dutch border, has been the site of drone activity, prompting a swift response from Belgian Defense officials. The base stores American nuclear weapons and is slated to house new F-35 fighter jets beginning in 2027.
The unauthorized drone flights, also reported near the Belgian military domain Leopoldsburg, 20 kilometers from Kleine Brogel, have triggered an investigation and heightened security concerns. Defense Minister Theo Francken stated on X, formerly Twitter, “Flying drones over military quarters is strictly prohibited,” and affirmed that “Defense must do everything in its power to shoot down these drones.” Images captured by the drones are being analyzed in collaboration with local police to identify and apprehend the pilots.
This incident occurs amid a broader trend of drone sightings and disruptions across Europe. Similar activity has been reported in Denmark, Norway, Poland, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, and most recently, near Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport, where air traffic was halted for two hours yesterday due to a suspected drone sighting. While the origin of the drones remains unclear, suspicion has fallen on Russia, particularly following an incident on September 10 when 21 drones entered Polish airspace. The increasing frequency of these events is raising alarms about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the challenges of drone defense.
