Yesterday, the Royal Air Force announced that it had reinforced Belgium’s air defenses through the deployment of anti-drone systems, responding to a request for assistance from Brussels to counter the growing activity of unauthorized unmanned systems in its airspace. This development comes as NATO countries remain on constant alert against daily hybrid threats, particularly around major airports and military bases.
Commenting on the decision, Defence Secretary John Healey stated: “When our NATO allies need us, we respond. Belgium requested urgent support to counter unauthorized drone activity at its military bases, so I have ordered the immediate deployment of a small team of RAF specialists. In the face of increasing hybrid threats, our strength lies in our alliances and in our collective determination to defend, deter, and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace.”
In another section of the same official statement released by the RAF, Air Marshal Harv Smyth expressed a similar view, suggesting that Russia is the main driver of these hybrid threats alongside the advancement of new technologies—once considered unconventional weapons, now a routine concern for Western defense. He also emphasized that the United Kingdom has made significant investments in systems designed to counter such threats, as well as in the training of personnel, consolidating its position as one of Europe’s most committed nations in addressing this growing challenge.
Expanding on the details, Belgium has received a deployment of highly specialized anti-drone personnel from No. 2 Uncrewed Aerial Systems Wing of the RAF Regiment, along with advanced equipment to protect critical infrastructure. According to the Italian company Leonardo, these systems are ORCUS (the British variant of the Falcon Shield system), capable of rapidly detecting and neutralizing unmanned threats, thereby reducing the tangible risk they pose to critical activities such as civil aviation or the security of military installations.
It is also worth noting that France and Germany have decided to contribute their own specialized anti-drone units to bolster Belgian air defenses, collectively forming an extensive protective network over key sites. Meanwhile, Brussels is advancing an emergency plan to facilitate the acquisition of counter-drone equipment and advanced radar systems to expand its current detection range.
Finally, it should be noted that the Belgian deployment is not the only recent operation by Royal Air Force units in support of allied defenses against hybrid threats. A recent example took place in Denmark, where in October the RAF provided support to Copenhagen with the same ORCUS systems while the city hosted two major European Union political summits—occasions that also saw additional teams from other continental allies join the effort.
Image credits: Royal Air Force
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