Good afternoon.
Have you ever heard of the Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Team (or C-UAS for short)? No? Well neither has anyone else it appears.
Reports today suggest that, at the height of the drone incursion crisis last week, none of Belgium's 30 strong crack police team was deployed to deal with the matter. That has now been rectified, but really?
There has been a lot of tough talk from Belgian politicians over the last few days, and public displays of "action", combined with calls for help and assistance from other countries. All of which is fine and necessary - the drone issue does and will need multilateral cooperation and a coordinated strategy.
But you undermine your credibility and your "tough response" if you can't even remember that you have a specialist team of highly trained officers equipped with expensive gadgets sitting drinking coffee just itching to respond when the bat phone rings.
Worse than that, you look incompetent, and frankly daft. And you raise serious issues about just how qualified those in charge are to do their jobs and as a result protect the public.
Is this government too distracted by other issues? Have they taken their eyes off the ball and become overly focussed on internal party political wrangling and leadership issues?
Never mind flattening Moscow - some might question whether this group of decision makers could flatten a pancake currently.
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Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
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Only five years in Belgian history have seen fewer births than 2024: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1941 and 1942. Read more.
2. The new soundtrack to your daily commute in Brussels
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3. Drones spotted over nuclear power plant hours after new sightings at Liège Airport
Earlier on Sunday evening, air traffic at Liège Airport was temporarily suspended following reports of drones. Read more.
4. ‘Affordable, sustainable and European’: How Belgium is leading the way on wind energy
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5. Belgium has an anti-drone unit, but it was ‘not contacted’ during airport shutdown
Belgium’s federal police reportedly failed to deploy its drone interception team during a security breach over Brussels Airport. Read more.
6. French-speaking schools disrupted as teachers go on strike
Union leaders have emphasised that this is "not a day off" but a day of action against the government’s austerity decisions. Read more.
7. Reviving Belgium’s obscure beers that history erased
From Antwerp to Hainaut, determined brewers are reviving forgotten ales, reimagining them for modern palates while keeping one eye on history. Read more.
