Two Belgian Army drones will be deployed over the Mediterranean Sea starting on Friday, Minister of Defence Theo Francken (N-VA) announced. They will be used in the fight against irregular migration and criminal activities, such as arms smuggling.
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is a multi-mission remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) in the United States.
The Belgian Air Force received its second and third MQ‑9B SkyGuardian drones in February.
Those are now stationed in Sigonella on the Italian island of Sicily.
Their deployment is part of Operation Silent Spear, through which Belgium contributes to NATO Operation Sea Guardian.
The fight against irregular migration, alongside violent extremism and international terrorism, remains an absolute top priority for our collective security, Francken stressed.
"Threats do not stop at the borders of Europe. What happens in North Africa, the Sahel, or the Middle East has a direct impact on illegal migration flows towards our country. That is why we are focusing on stability, combating extremism, and above all, containing illegal migration flows that threaten our security," he said.
