Defence to train soldiers with Belgian-made drone
Belgium's ministry of Defence will train military personnel using a drone developed by NoordZee Drones, a training and expertise centre in Zeebrugge.
The company was commissioned to design a domestically produced training drone, without the use of foreign components. The device, intended exclusively for military training, has been named THEQ-1, in a nod to Defence minister Theo Francken.
"Our military personnel are not yet trained to work with drones, even though this is now a reality for the ministry of Defence," Francken said during a visit to the company. "That is why we urgently need to accelerate. Hundreds of soldiers will be trained to operate drones. It is a good thing that training drones are being manufactured in our country. That means we don't have to buy them abroad."
According to Francken, Belgium is seeking to make up lost ground. "We lost many years under previous governments, when drones were dismissed as unethical and unnecessary, but technological developments cannot be ignored," he said. "What we see in Ukraine is essentially a drone war. We must be prepared for that."
Young people undertaking a year of military service will also receive drone training. "It is important that these young people learn to fly drones as soon as possible. That is the intention. The plans are not yet finalised, but we will certainly train many young people to operate drones," Francken said.
North Sea Drones specialises in professional drone training and defence-related applications. The company has worked with the ministry for years to train military drone pilots.
#FlandersNewsService | © A drone pilot at the NoordZee Drones training centre in Zeebrugge, 3 March 2026 © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER
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