Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper)- Several unidentified drones were spotted flying over the Marche-en-Famenne military camp, prompting immediate concern from Belgian Defense authorities. The incident has been labeled a serious security alert, with investigations underway to determine the drones’ origin and purpose. Officials are treating the situation as a potential threat to national defense operations.
Several drones hovered above the Marche-en-Famenne military camp late Saturday to Sunday night, Sudinfo and Het Laatste Nieuws revealed on Wednesday. The police have been alerted, and an investigation has been launched. The General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) is also conducting an investigation.
“Saturday evening, our soldiers registered four or five drones flying over the Marche-en-Famenne military base,” Defense Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) confirmed. “These are not guerrilla pilots, but professional pilots carrying out spying above this base, which is the headquarters of our land force.”
“This is a serious warning for our Defense,” he had stated earlier to Sudinfo.
This latest incursion is “part of a hybrid war being conducted against Europe, with numerous drone attacks. They are attempting to destabilize Europe and cause panic,” the minister said.
No source of the drones has yet been identified. A Russian origin cannot be ruled out. The police and the SGRS are investigating.
In the meantime, the Defence Minister indicates he is to prepare a dossier next week to submit to the Council of Ministers to ask for the enhancement of Belgium’s capacity to respond to drone intrusions. ” This is a real and urgent threat. “
Several drones were seen around the evening of October 2nd to 3rd, around a Belgian military camp near the German-Belgian border. Both the Belgian and German police confirmed the simultaneous presence of multiple devices whose numbers are still unknown, but were seen crossing the border around nightfall.
Defense Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) replied that “several drones were spotted by the local police, on the Belgian border, but also on the German side. That is certain. We are doing a very intense investigation now to find out what happened, what the intent was, and why these drones were there.”
On the mayor’s speculation on a search mission for a lost horse with drones, the minister categorically denied such a version: ” No, not that. It was not to look for a horse that had gone missing in the area, but for unidentified drones that were flying over this sensitive zone.”
Considering the circumstances and the global context, Theo Francken wanted to reassure the citizens regarding the responsiveness of the Belgian authorities: ” Yes, we sounded the alarm, and the police and local forces did their work well. But do we need to do more? Yes, for sure. We have to invest in detection systems and in fortifying our anti-drone capacities so that we can take away these things if needed. I’m actively on it, but it takes time.”
The minister points out that any military infrastructure is a target: “All military zones are of interest; they are strategic infrastructures. There might be more strategic ones, but anyway, they are all sensitive.”
Theo Francken also said that, as far as he knew, Belgium had never been targeted by such an operation previously, pointing out how this drone intrusion into the country’s territory is something so new.
Drones were seen hovering around the base once more last night. Examinations are being conducted on whether they were the same drones seen last Saturday. Drones were also seen flying around in early October, around the Elsenborn camp.
