MILAN — Authorities have recorded 14 unidentified drone sightings across Europe in the last two months, the latest hovering above a Belgium tactical fighter aircraft base that also reportedly houses U.S. tactical nuclear weapons.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said Belgium was targeted on two consecutive nights from Nov. 1-3 by drones that flew in different stages near the Kleine Brogel installation.
The first phase included “small drones to test the radio frequencies” of the country’s security agencies, and the subsequent one consisted of “big drones to destabilize the area and people,” Francken said in an interview with Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.
“It resembles a spy operation – by whom, I don’t know. I have a few ideas, but I am going to be careful [about speculation],” he added.
While Washington does not disclose the number of tactical nuclear weapons deployed on European soil, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimated that there are at least 100 U.S.-owned ones stored in five NATO countries across six bases, including Kleine Brogel.
The air base is also home to Belgium’s F-16 fleet and is set to host some of the country’s F-35 fighter jets, of which the first units were received late last month.
The incident is the most recent in a wave of drone incursions that has plagued more than a handful of European countries since the fall. The peak of aerial intrusions happened between Sept. 20 and Oct. 5, during which a significant burst of activity was reported primarily in Denmark, Norway, Germany and Belgium.
After this multi-country wave, the number of recorded drone sightings slowed but continued with repeated incursions in Belgium and Germany in the last week. A majority of these cases were geographically concentrated along NATO’s northern flank.
The most common types of targets included military installations and dual-use airports.
Most sightings appear to have taken place at night, often in group formations of multiple drones at once.
An analysis published by the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs argued that the targeting of Denmark likely had a political purpose, as the country holds the presidency of the EU Council until the end of this year.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
