Mysterious Drones guard key sites in Europe. So what is the defense strategy?

Even before it was reported that at least three drones were seen above the behavior of the force in the north of Belgium on Sunday evening, Brussels was very cautious.

The failure of the drone vision has led to repeated bans on flights in the country, thousands of passengers and planes.

Belgium is the latest target in a spate of mysterious drone incidents across Europe over airports and military bases – with some officials pointing the finger directly at Russia. It left the managers who left to strengthen the defenses.

in Belgium the media reports That drones this weekend were seen above the Doel nuclear Power Plant near the Port of Antwerp. CBC News has not been able to confirm these reports.

Unlike Multiple Russian Drones That breached Polish AirSpace in September at the same time as the extensive air strikes in Ukraine, it came very little at the most recent sighting.

‘Whack-a-mole thing’

There is no indication that aNY Drones involved in recent sightings have been removed or shocked.

“There’s a kind of whack-a-mole or hide-and-seek thing here,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute and the Brussels-based Con Cant-Tank Bruegel.

“These drones, whoever launches them or whereverHED [from]tHey don’t ride, okay? They come in … banned flights and they are gone again. ”

On Sunday, Britain’s army chief said it would send experts and equipment to Belgium to help detect and protect drones.

The head of the British armed forces, Richard Knighton, told the BBC that Belgium asked for help, after Airport in Brussels was closed Tuesday evening for several hours due to drone sightings.

Belgium’s Liège airport, which is used to handle car cargo, has had flights grounded several times in the past week – including on Sunday – after reports of drones.

between Germanywhere Drones were supported by 17 planes at the Munich airport in October, the administration met with the teams that responded quickly to deal with the threat, the Minister of Defense of the country opposed in Russia.

Responding to a question from a reporter on Friday, Boris Pistorius said he thought Belgium was targeted because of continuity object about using 140 billion euros ($226 billion CDN) In the frozen areas of Russia to help Ukraine. That money is held in a Belgian-based facility called Eloclear.

“This is a measure that aims to spread insecurity, in a terrible church in Belgium: ‘You don’t want to touch frozen goods,'” Pistorius said on Friday. “This cannot be interpreted in any other way.”

Russia denies the claims

Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called any accusation against Russia for launching drones groundless, adding that “many European politicians are now eager to blame Russia for any issue.”

The frequency of drone sightings has been “never set,” according to Guiseppe Spatafo, a research analyst at the EU Institute for Study.

In an email to the CBC, he said that while it may be difficult to find direct evidence of Russian involvement, there is “something new” in countries dealing with drone interference – whether they have taken significant steps to support Ukraine or are considering doing so.

When the air traffic was planned in Copenhagen on September 22, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “the most important attack on the important infrastructure of Denmark so far,” and that the involvement of Russia could not be ruled out.

After that incident, the Danish authorities said that whoever operates the Drones were “competent” and able to drive in different flight patterns. The police said that at that time the police decided to try to shoot them, given the risk to the passengers at the airport and the fuel and the planes on the roads.

Since the events in Denmark, very little information has been released about the latest sightings in Europe, but officials have promised to remain secure.

More Nato Patrols

After the Polish AirSpace was violated by about 20 Russian drones earlier this fall, NATO announced the Eastern Sentry in Poland using large radar planes that allow more than 500 kilometers in any direction.

While the system allows crews to spot planes and ships at sea, small drones are a challenge.

“We need to downgrade our systems to be able to detect those aircraft, because a normal aircraft, they will no longer have a full radar as a small full name in accordance with the NATO Security Protocol.

Joel spoke to the CBC during a reconnaissance flight on November 4, where the crew focused on keeping a close eye on the Naton Flank for any wind.

“The situation in Ukraine proved that during a tense situation, one can be creative to find new ways to fight,” said Joel. “The idea we had five or 10 years ago evolved very quickly … we need to evolve again.“

When the CBC asked the military commander of the NATO Public Affain Affacere How the West and the Alliance are participating in the observation of the most recent sightings, he replied that the information could not be shared, as it is classified.

Moving the Drone wall

European Union authorities who have been talking for months about the need for a Regional “Drone Wall” are now vowing to have one in place by 2027.

“I wouldn’t call it absolute, but let’s just call it more exposure,” Funk Kirkegaard said.

He says that one of the lessons from the war in Ukraine 3½ years ago is that it is very difficult to break the waves, cheap drones can be made and sent masse.

He says that Europe should instead Reduce its focus, and focus on protecting critical infrastructure.

But he says there are decisions that need to be made about the risk of intervention – such as shooting down a suspicious drone in an urban area.

“Even if we can shoot it down, what happens if it falls into the house?” he said.

“These are real-time decisions with a lot of uncertainty.”