Belgium appears to be the focus of increased hybrid threats Belgian Chief of Defence Frederik Vansina told the chamber of representatives, the lower house of the Belgian parliament on Wednesday. He was referring to recent incidents involving drones flying over airports and military bases, as well as cyber threats, ships off our coast and ‘assertive rhetoric’ on social media.
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‘Belgium appears to be the focus of increased hybrid threats’ says defence chief
Colin Clapson
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The defence chief had been invited to parliament for an exchange of views on the Strategic Vision for Defence 2025, which is essentially the government's long-term vision for the army and all the investments that go with it.
‘I am convinced that this strategic vision will further strengthen the ongoing reconstruction of our defence capability,’ General Vansina said. He believes that this reconstruction has been under way since 2016 and was successfully continued by the previous government.
During much of his presentation, Vansina outlined the threat facing Belgium and the world, strongly focusing on the situation in Ukraine. That war has exposed a new technological reality: the increase in drones on the battlefield.
By 2025, Ukraine will have used no fewer than 4 million drones on the battlefield, according to Vansina. ‘We haven't seen the end of it yet,’ he warned. Vansina cited drones that will increasingly be controlled by artificial intelligence – a trend that we in Europe are very wary of for ethical reasons, he explained.
Threat is hybrid
Drones have caused quite a stir in Belgium in recent weeks. ‘At the moment, Belgium seems to be the focus of an increased hybrid threat,’ the general said.
This is not only true for Belgium, but is visible throughout Europe. ‘We are also seeing actions, with strong indications that they are being directed by Russia,’ he continued, pointing to the sabotage of undersea cables, cyber attacks, disinformation, and so on.
A matter of months, not years
As far as the fight against drones is concerned, Vansina refuted the claim that the defence ministry had neglected the problem. The plan put forward by defence minister Theo Francken (Flemish nationalist N-VA) to counter drones is part of a comprehensive package.
It will now take a few months – ‘not years’ – to become operational. However, the lessons learned from Ukraine also show that it is important to have the latest technology in both drone and counter-drone capacity.
Welcome assistance from abroad
Assistance from our neighbouring countries, the UK, Germany and France, in the fight against the drone threat was ‘very welcome’, the general noted, but he was unwilling to comment further.
War economy versus peacetime procedures
Vansina also stressed that Russia has completely switched to a war economy, with tanks, guns and ships rolling off the production line on a daily basis.
‘The question is what will happen if there is a ceasefire in Ukraine tomorrow.’ Meanwhile, China is not standing still either and is developing its armed forces and arsenal at an enormous speed.
Vansina expressed concern about this and asked politicians to consider the way in which purchases are made in Belgium.
‘We work using peacetime procedures, with all kinds of intermediate steps and rules, which slow down the procurement process, while our opponents move much faster,’ he noted.
‘I don't know if we in the West can continue using our peacetime rules. Perhaps we should sit down with the finance inspectorate and others to consider how we can speed up procedures.’