Britain is sending RAF specialists and anti‑drone equipment to Belgium after unidentified drones forced temporary closures at Brussels and Liège airports and prompted alerts near a base storing U.S. nuclear weapons. U.K. leaders say they will support Belgian authorities while the source of the incursions remains unknown. NATO allies have reported similar airspace breaches across Europe, and some countries, notably Lithuania, have blamed Russia and Belarus for an escalation of so‑called hybrid warfare. The deployment underscores growing concerns about aviation and military security amid tensions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
UK Deploys Anti‑Drone Teams and Technology to Belgium After Disruptive Incursions
Britain is sending RAF specialists and anti‑drone equipment to Belgium after unidentified drones forced temporary closures at Brussels and Liège airports and prompted alerts near a base storing U.S. nuclear weapons. U.K. leaders say they will support Belgian authorities while the source of the incursions remains unknown. NATO allies have reported similar airspace breaches across Europe, and some countries, notably Lithuania, have blamed Russia and Belarus for an escalation of so‑called hybrid warfare. The deployment underscores growing concerns about aviation and military security amid tensions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
02:47 AM, 11/11/2025Security
London — UK sends specialists and counter‑drone kit to assist Belgium
Britain is dispatching anti‑drone equipment and Royal Air Force specialists to Belgium after a string of unidentified drone sightings forced temporary closures at Brussels and Liège airports and triggered alerts near a military base that stores U.S. nuclear weapons, senior U.K. officials said.
Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, head of the British armed forces, said the deployment follows an official request from Belgian authorities. "We don't know — and the Belgians don't yet know — the source of those drones, but we will help them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to help Belgium," Knighton told the BBC.
U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey added that a team of RAF specialists was being sent "to counter rogue drone activity," and said: "As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace."
Belgian officials have not publicly attributed the incursions to any actor. However, the incidents form part of a wider pattern of unexplained airspace breaches reported across several European countries in recent weeks, often near airports and military sites. Some NATO allies have pointed to Russia and Belarus as actors behind similar disruptions elsewhere, though direct attribution remains contested.
Belgium — which hosts the headquarters of NATO and the European Union and is home to Europe’s largest financial clearinghouse that holds significant frozen Russian assets — has drawn particular attention because of the strategic value of those institutions. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said some of the drone activity appeared to resemble "a spying operation" and suggested it was unlikely to be the work of amateurs.
Regional context and similar incidents
Across Europe, unknown drones have repeatedly forced temporary airport suspensions and raised security concerns at military installations in Germany, Denmark and the Baltic states. Lithuania has been among the most explicit in assigning blame, accusing Russia and its ally Belarus of an "escalation of hybrid warfare" and urging stronger NATO measures and sanctions.
Separate incidents cited by Baltic governments include an Oct. 23 claim by Lithuania that a Russian Sukhoi SU‑30 fighter and an IL‑78 tanker entered Lithuanian airspace after departing Kaliningrad, and a mid‑September allegation by Estonia that Russian fighters violated its airspace for roughly 12 minutes; Russia denied those claims.
The U.K.’s deployment to Belgium is intended to bolster short‑term detection and mitigation capabilities while Belgian and allied authorities investigate the origins and intent of the incursions. Officials emphasize that cooperation among NATO partners is central to deterring future incidents and protecting critical aviation and military infrastructure.