New drone sightings reported over Belgium’s Kleine-Brogel air base

Four drones detected Sunday evening; Defence Minister calls incidents “targeted missions”

Belgian authorities reported new drone activity over the Kleine-Brogel military base early Sunday evening, marking the latest in a series of incursions over the strategically sensitive site.

According to Peer Mayor Steven Matheï, four drones were detected around 7:00 p.m. by police and defence forces. A federal police helicopter was dispatched to pursue the unidentified aircraft, but the drones ultimately disappeared northward toward the Netherlands.

The sightings follow similar incidents on Friday night and Saturday evening, prompting heightened concern among Belgian defence and security officials.

Defence Minister Theo Francken said the drones observed on Saturday were not commercial models, describing them as larger and more sophisticated. He emphasised that the flights were intentional and coordinated:

“This was not a simple overflight, but a clear mission targeting Kleine-Brogel,” Francken said on social media. “We are further increasing our vigilance in order to apprehend the pilots.”

Authorities also confirmed that a drone jammer was activated during the latest incidents, but it proved ineffective.

The Kleine-Brogel Air Base, home to part of Belgium’s F-16 fighter fleet and believed to store U.S. nuclear weapons under NATO arrangements, has been the focus of growing drone activity in recent days, raising security concerns on both sides of the Belgian-Dutch border.

An investigation by local and federal police remains ongoing.