A drone was seen over a military base in a NATO country for the second time in less than 24 hours, Kyiv Independent has reported. The drone was spotted over the Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium late on Saturday night, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken announced on X this morning. This comes just one day after several drones had been spotted over the same air base on Friday, October 31.
The base is believed to host US nuclear weapons under the NATO nuclear sharing arrangement. The base is also set to serve as the home to F-35 fighter jets beginning in 2027, Belga News Agency has reported. A police helicopter was unsuccessful in intercepting the drone following the second incident.
Mr Franchen said that there is an ongoing investigation into the incident, adding that images of the drones were captured in flight. No details on the specifics of the incident were released, and the type of drone involved remains unclear. The intention, spying or panic, for example, is also unknown. Mr Francken announced this week that he has a 50 million euro plan ready for a drone defence system.
The incident comes amid a wave of unexplained drone sightings across Europe, sparking fears of Russian involvement in hybrid warfare and renewed concerns over the security of the alliance. Franchen did not indicate if the incident is linked to the recent wave.
In early September, Polish forces shot down several Russian drones during an attack on Ukraine, while a Russian drone later entered Romanian airspace without being engaged. These incidents have fueled calls for a stronger response to such incursions.
Drone sightings at airports have increased across Europe in recent months, causing air traffic disruptions in France, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, and Denmark. On Friday, October 31, Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport temporarily diverted flights following a reported suspicious drone.
