Several drones were spotted above the Marche-en-Famenne military base last night Belgian defence minister Theo Francken(Flemish nationalist) has told VRT NEWS. Earlier he posted on X that drones had also been spotted above the base last Saturday. “Most likely they were operated by professional drone pilots who were mapping certain things,” the minister noted. In recent months, drones have increasingly been spotted over military bases in various parts of Europe.
“On Saturday evening, guards at Marche-en-Famenne noticed several drones flying over crucial parts of our army brigade headquarters for an extended period of time,” Francken wrote on X. “This was not the work of amateurs, but of skilled drone pilots. Procedures were followed correctly.”
Speaking to VRT NEWS, Francken said that there were four or five drones. During the course of the morning, he was informed that drones had also been spotted above the base last night.
The police and intelligence services are investigating the matter.
“I am very concerned about drones; this is truly a new security challenge,” the minister said. “The increased vigilance that has been in place since the drones appeared over Elsenborn (another Belgian military base) seems to be working. But we also urgently need drone guns and shotguns. We already have some, but far too few.”
“We also need good detection systems. You should be able to see them coming on radar. These systems exist and we need to purchase them as soon as possible,” Francken emphasized. The cabinet will discuss solutions next week.
Not for the first time
This is not the first time that drones have been spotted above military airports. In recent weeks, drones have been spotted above European airports and military facilities on several occasions. In Denmark, several airports were temporarily closed due to drone sightings, and Oslo Airport in Norway also had to close its airspace.
In early October, around 15 drones were spotted above the Belgian military base of Elsenborn, situated on the border with Germany. It is not known what type of drones were involved in all these incidents or who was responsible, but it is clear that unidentified drones have become a real security issue.