The Belgian army invested 3.8 billion euros in 34 F35 fighter jets and recently ordered another 11. The first four have arrived, one of which was already out of service. Now it appears that drones are threatening our air bases. To their surprise, the army leadership had to admit that a helicopter is powerless against these sophisticated devices, let alone a F35 aircraft. An additional €50 million is being requested to address this issue. The citizens of Peer and the surrounding municipalities of the Kleine Brogel air force base were therefore asked to: ‘Report any suspicious activity to the police as soon as possible. If a drone is spotted, residents can try to take a photo or video,’ the statement reads.
The air base also gives the following advice: “Try to remember the following when you see a drone: a description of the drone itself and any cargo it may be carrying. Remember the location, altitude and direction in which the drone was flying. How did the drone behave and did anyone spot a drone operator or other suspicious behaviour? People should also not be misled by false reports on social media channels….”
