Belgium’s federal police failed to deploy its drone interception team during a security breach over Brussels Airport last Tuesday, despite having the capability to detect and neutralise hostile drones, local media reported.
The Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) team, established in 2021, comprises around 30 certified officers. It is equipped with two detection antennas, four jammers to intercept drones, and three net launchers to immobilise them, according to police sources cited by Het Nieuwsblad.
Multiple sources confirmed the team was not contacted in time to assist during the incident, which forced a shutdown of the airspace above Brussels Airport. Authorities reportedly realised their mistake too late to activate the anti-drone unit.
Over the weekend, the C-UAS team installed one detection antenna near Brussels Airport in Zaventem and another in the city centre. They also extended their security efforts to airports in Ostend, Charleroi, and Liège.
In addition, De Standaard reported that the army was discreetly deployed to help end the disruptions at Brussels Airport.
On Monday afternoon, the Federal Police responded to the media reports in a press release. It reaffirmed that the issue of drone flights has been given the highest priority since it first arose. It also regretted that simplistic or partial information may be disseminated.
"The necessary initiatives and appropriate measures were immediately implemented as part of the detection-identification-neutralisation strategy, in line with a joint approach with our partners," reads the press release.
They added: "The specialised resources of our anti-drone unit are deployed on the basis of a careful analysis that takes into account essential factors such as operational effectiveness, airport security and public safety."
Belgium has been plagued by drone sightings over the past couple of weeks. Drone activity has disrupted operations at Liège Airport repeatedly in recent days, with sightings reported nearly daily over the past week.
On Saturday evening, flights were halted for 30 minutes, and operations were also disrupted on Sunday evening. Similar interruptions were noted at Brussels Airport on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Military bases and nuclear power plants have also experienced frequent drone sightings in recent weeks.
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This article was updated to include a response of the Federal Police at 4.33 p.m.
