Airports across Europe have been thrown into turmoil in recent weeks as a wave of mysterious drone sightings has forced repeated closures, exposed critical gaps in airspace security, and triggered an urgent multinational response. Belgium, at the epicenter of the crisis, has seen its airports and military installations targeted by what officials describe as coordinated and professional drone incursions, with both Brussels and Liège airports repeatedly shut down—sometimes within days of each other—disrupting thousands of travelers and raising alarms about national security.
The latest incident unfolded on the evening of November 8, 2025, when Liège Airport in Belgium was forced to halt all flights for 30 minutes after air traffic control received a report of a drone spotted over the airfield. According to the airport spokesperson, operations resumed swiftly, but the disruption marked the second such closure at Liège in a single week. Just days earlier, drone sightings at both Brussels and Liège airports had grounded flights, diverted incoming planes, and left passengers stranded, as confirmed by Belgium’s Skeyes air traffic control service.
The stakes, however, extend far beyond commercial inconvenience. Between November 1 and 3, four drones conducted systematic surveillance over Kleine-Brogel Air Base in northeastern Belgium—a NATO facility that houses U.S. nuclear weapons and Belgian F-16 fighters. Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken did not mince words in his assessment: “The incident appeared to be carried out by professionals intent on destabilising the country,” he told public broadcaster RTBF on November 4. He further warned that the drone flights near sensitive military sites looked like part of a “spying operation.”
The string of incursions prompted Belgium’s National Security Council to convene an emergency meeting, and the government quickly sought help from its neighbors. Germany was the first to answer, dispatching counter-drone specialists from the Bundeswehr on November 7 to assess Belgium’s needs and coordinate the deployment of detection sensors, electronic warfare systems, and rapid-response protocols. France soon followed suit, with Defense Minister Francken announcing on November 8 that Paris would send an anti-drone team to bolster Belgium’s defenses. “The French deployment strengthens our collective security and showcases European unity in countering hybrid threats,” Francken wrote on social media.
Germany’s counter-drone teams bring a suite of advanced technologies to the table. Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, head of Germany’s joint operations command, explained to Reuters, “They have various systems to spot and counter drones. We have the option, for example, to assume control over a drone and land it at a specific location.” The teams are equipped with detection sensors, interceptor drones that ram hostile aircraft, and specialized drones capable of deploying nets to capture unauthorized drones. A similar German unit had successfully operated in Copenhagen during an EU summit in October, using this blend of sensors and “effectors” to neutralize threats.
But Belgium is not alone in facing these challenges. The past three months have seen a surge of drone-related disruptions at airports and military bases across Europe. Copenhagen Airport in Denmark was shut for nearly four hours on September 22, and Oslo Airport in Norway closed for three hours the same evening. Munich Airport in Germany experienced two drone-related shutdowns in early October, with a classified German security report later confirming the aircraft were military reconnaissance drones, not hobbyist toys. Sweden’s Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport was also affected by a drone sighting on November 6, forcing more than a dozen flights to be rerouted or canceled.
Authorities in several countries have pointed to Russia as a likely perpetrator, describing the incidents as part of Moscow’s “hybrid warfare” campaign against Europe. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever reportedly convened his National Security Council after security services concluded there was “no reasonable doubt” Russia orchestrated the incursions, according to DroneXL. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius echoed these suspicions, while Minister Francken called Russia a “plausible suspect,” noting that Belgium hosts Euroclear—a clearing house holding immobilized Russian assets central to discussions of a €140 billion reparations loan for Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has consistently denied any involvement.
These repeated incursions have laid bare Europe’s vulnerability to cheap, readily available drone technology. Belgian Defense Minister Francken admitted on La Première radio that the country is “four years behind” where it should be on anti-drone systems, lamenting, “We should have bought air defense systems to combat drones five or 10 years ago. NATO has been saying this for years.” The Belgian government has since approved an emergency €50 million heavy drone defense plan, which includes anti-drone guns and jammers, though officials say other options are still under review. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin has even stated, “All suspect drones will be destroyed, when necessary and possible.”
The irony is not lost on observers. While Western European nations debated procurement cycles and defense budgets, Ukraine—driven by necessity—has rapidly transformed into a global leader in drone warfare. Ukrainian forces now deploy around 9,000 drones daily, including $2,500 interceptor drones that have fundamentally reshaped air defense doctrine. NATO members are closely studying Ukraine’s tactics, with Norway becoming the first alliance country to field an operational drone swarm system in October. Poland and Romania have also announced the deployment of the American-made Merops system, which uses artificial intelligence to intercept drones even when communications are jammed.
The European Union, meanwhile, has accelerated plans for a “drone wall” defense system along its eastern border, with Baltic states already awarding tens of millions of euros in contracts. But these are largely reactive measures, hastily implemented in response to a threat that has been growing for years. The broader question, as DroneXL points out, is whether this crisis will finally force European defense establishments to abandon their slow-moving procurement cycles in favor of the rapid-iteration development models proven effective in Ukraine. As one expert noted, “Russia and China aren’t waiting for five-year development timelines. Ukraine deploys 270,000 drones monthly in actual combat operations.”
For now, the deployment of German and French counter-drone teams to Belgium marks a turning point—a sign that Europe is beginning to take the threat seriously, even if it comes years later than many defense experts would have liked. The coming months will test whether the continent’s leaders can move fast enough to close the gap, or whether Europe’s skies will remain vulnerable to the next wave of unmanned intruders.
