Belgian army orders to shoot down drones above its bases
The Belgian army has given orders to shoot down any unknown drones spotted above its bases, chief of defence Frederik Vansina said on Monday.
On Sunday evening, four drones were spotted over the Kleine-Brogel air base near Peer, marking the third consecutive night of drone activity above Belgian military and civilian sites.
That same evening, local police received a report of a dozen drones flying over the Mechelen-Zuid industrial estate, but they were unable to detect anything on site.
Belgium's resources to combat drones are limited
Vansina added that a programme to protect Belgium against drones is being implemented at an accelerated pace and that a plan to this effect will be presented to the Council of Ministers shortly.
Currently, Belgium's resources to combat such drones, including detection equipment, jammers and drone guns, are limited.
Order to shoot
Vansina said that if more drones appear above army bases, military personnel will take them down. "The order has been given to shoot them down," he said on Monday during the arrival ceremony for a new mine hunter in Zeebrugge.
Drones can only be taken down if it can be done safely, "without causing collateral damage", he added. The army chief explained that this is not easy, given that drones fly at night and are small and highly manoeuvrable.
Guidelines for spotting drones
On Monday, Kleine-Brogel air base published guidelines for residents of Peer and the surrounding area to follow if they spot any suspicious drones.
“Suspicious activity should be reported to the police as soon as possible,” the guidelines state. If a drone is spotted, residents are encouraged to try and take a photo or video.
"People should also not be misled by false reports on social media channels"
Earlier, local police attempted to follow drones from the ground in a van while a federal police helicopter pursued them in the air, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
"People should also not be misled by false reports on social media channels," the guidelines state.
A traffic sign near the Kleine Brogel military base in Peer © BELGA PHOTO JILL DELSAUX