Key points: Unidentified drones flew in two phases near Kleine Brogel, a Belgian base that stores U.S. nuclear weapons. Smaller drones apparently probed Belgian security radio frequencies, followed by larger drones that seemed intended to destabilize the area. Defence Minister Theo Francken called the pattern consistent with espionage, cited jammer failures and legal limits on shooting down drones, and warned Belgium lacks adequate anti-drone air-defence systems. Similar unexplained overflights have been reported across Europe and the U.S.
Unidentified Drones Spotted Near Kleine Brogel Nuclear-Airbase — Belgium Calls It Likely Espionage
Key points: Unidentified drones flew in two phases near Kleine Brogel, a Belgian base that stores U.S. nuclear weapons. Smaller drones apparently probed Belgian security radio frequencies, followed by larger drones that seemed intended to destabilize the area. Defence Minister Theo Francken called the pattern consistent with espionage, cited jammer failures and legal limits on shooting down drones, and warned Belgium lacks adequate anti-drone air-defence systems. Similar unexplained overflights have been reported across Europe and the U.S.
23:55, 03.11.2025Security
Belgium Investigates Suspicious Drone Activity Near U.S.-Armed Base
Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken warned on Monday that a series of unidentified drone flights over the weekend near the Kleine Brogel air base — a site that stores U.S. nuclear weapons — appear to be part of an intelligence-gathering operation.
Francken said the incursions occurred in two phases on Saturday and Sunday night. According to the minister, the first wave involved smaller drones that seemed to probe the radio frequencies used by Belgian security services. Hours later, larger drones returned in a pattern he described as intended to unsettle the area and its residents.
"It looks like a spying operation. By whom I cannot say for sure. I have some ideas, but I will be cautious about speculation," Francken told public broadcaster RTBF.
The minister rejected the possibility that the flights were a prank, noting that Belgium's countermeasure equipment (a jammer) failed because the intruders tested and switched frequencies — a technique he said would be beyond most amateur operators.
Francken also explained the difficulty of using lethal force: when drones are directly over a military base, they can be shot down, but when they are only nearby, shooting risks debris falling on houses, cars or people. He added that the legal framework for responding to such incidents is unclear and needs clarification.
Belgium's defence minister lamented the country's lack of modern air-defence systems capable of countering drone threats and said such capabilities should have been procured years ago.
Context: A Wider Pattern of Unexplained Overflights
Similar mysterious drone incidents have been reported across Europe in recent months. Authorities in Germany reported drone sightings that temporarily suspended flights at Berlin's Brandenburg and Munich airports; Bremen experienced delays after a drone sighting that local police said did not appear to be espionage. Denmark reported multiple drone observations at defence facilities in September. In October, Belgian officials also reported drone sightings over Elsenborn military base, which hosts only Belgian forces despite Belgium's NATO membership.
U.S. defence officials have also recorded unexplained drone activity near military sites this year. The heads of NORAD and NORTHCOM told the U.S. Congress that some of those incursions inside the United States may have been intelligence-gathering operations.
While Russia has been blamed for several recent airspace violations in places such as Estonia and Poland, the origin of these small, low-altitude drone flights remains unclear and harder to attribute in many cases. Belgian authorities are continuing their investigation.