The Belgian government has reached an agreement in principle on a €50 million anti-drone plan, but final approval from the Council of Ministers is still pending, according to Defence Minister Theo Francken’s office.
The plan includes the purchase of various systems to counter drones, including detection systems, jammers and drone guns to protect key installations.
Defence Minister Francken also stated that Belgium is expected to receive support from the German armed forces as part of the initiative.
The plan was discussed during yesterday's National Security Council (NSC) meeting addressing recent drone-related incidents near airports and military bases in Belgium.
Following yesterday's NSC meeting, Defence Minister Theo Francken confirmed to The Brussels Times that a National Airspace Security Centre (NASC) will be operational by 1 January 2026.
The centre in Beauvechain, Walloon Brabant, is not yet fully operational. A centre exists for the navy but one is now also needed for airspace, to enable all services to work together effectively.
The government aims to establish a new organisation involving various entities, such as customs and the aviation directorate. The centre will be based on the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) operated by the Defence Ministry, which has been monitoring Belgian airspace from Beauvechain for several years.
On Tuesday evening, drone sightings shut down the airspace above five airports in Belgium, and more sightings were reported on Wednesday, including in the coastal town of Ostend and at the army barracks in Heverlee. On Thursday, air traffic was disrupted by a drone sighting at Brussels Airport, and this morning, drones were spotted at Liège Airport.
