Belgium moves ahead with plans to arm its SkyGuardian drones
The Belgian Federal Parliament's Defence Procurement Committee has approved the tender to arm the country’s SkyGuardian drones. This decision comes six years after the initial order for the drones was placed. However, the process of arming them was stalled on ethical grounds.
Belgium purchased the SkyGuardian system in 2019. Although the aircraft are designed to carry weapons, the previous coalition government under Alexander De Croo decided against weaponisation, largely due to objections from left-leaning parties. This decision went against a recommendation from the military’s general staff, who argued that there is no legal or ethical distinction between deploying armed drones and operating F-16 fighter jets.
To date, the drones have been used exclusively for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, despite being capable of precision strikes with limited collateral damage. Armed drones have been a staple of contemporary warfare for decades.
It is crucial that the Ministry of Defence keeps pace with technological developments
Earlier this year, the incoming 'Arizona' coalition government under Bart De Wever (N-VA) endorsed a resolution by MP Peter Buysrogge to arm the drones. "It is crucial that the Ministry of Defence keeps pace with technological developments and does not fall behind. I am therefore pleased that common sense has finally prevailed,” said Buysrogge.
The concrete procurement proposal followed on Wednesday. “Hostile actors, including the Iranian regime, are already using drones to target civilians on European soil. We must defend ourselves and make full use of our technological capabilities,” argued Buysrogge.
He stressed that human oversight would remain essential. "These are not autonomous killing machines. They are operated by trained professionals and are primarily intended to support our troops and protect civilians”.
In August, the government reiterated that the drones would continue to be used solely for intelligence purposes for the time being. Meanwhile, civil society organisations have raised concerns about the implications for privacy. As the aircraft can operate in Belgian airspace for surveillance purposes, they could, in principle, be used to monitor civilians.
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