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Britain will send military personnel and equipment to Belgium to help investigate a series of unexplained drone flights over critical infrastructure, the UK's top defense official announced Sunday.
Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, Britain's chief of defense staff, said his Belgian counterpart requested assistance this week after drones repeatedly violated Belgian airspace near airports and military installations.
"The Defence Secretary and I agreed at the end of last week that we would deploy our people, our equipment to Belgium to help them," Knighton told the BBC.
Brussels Airport shut down temporarily Thursday night after drones were detected in the vicinity. The closure marked the latest in a string of incidents that have raised security concerns across the country. Earlier last week, drones appeared near Liege Airport on Tuesday and Thursday, and additional unmanned aircraft were spotted close to a Belgian military base.
The origin of the drones remains unknown. "It is important to be clear, though, that we don't know – and the Belgians don't yet know – the source of those drones, but we will help them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to help Belgium," Knighton said.
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The British deployment underscores growing unease about drone activity across Europe in recent months. Similar incursions have been reported in multiple countries, frequently near airports and military sites.
Some European officials have attributed the incidents to Russia, characterizing them as part of a broader hybrid warfare campaign connected to the war in Ukraine. Moscow has rejected these allegations.
Knighton framed the UK response as an example of NATO solidarity, saying allies "will work to support each other," which is why Britain is "very happy to see UK military personnel deployed to support Belgium."
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