Drones have been observed more frequently recently above a weapons factory of Thales Belgium, according to the company’s director. Thales has the means to ‘jam’ or disrupt drones, but does not have permission to actually do so.
The director of the Belgian division of Thales, Alain Quevrin, told the news site Politico how many drones have been observed exactly. “But we are seeing more than a few months ago and we are concerned about that,” he said.
The drones flew over the factory in Liège, among other places. It is not clear who controlled the drones and why they flew over the factory. At the factory in Liège, Thales manufactures missiles that can be launched from aircraft. Demand for these has increased enormously. Most of the production goes to Ukraine, says Quevrin.
Thales, a French company, has made “a major effort” to install drone detection systems at its factories. The company also has so-called ‘jammers’ that can render drones uncontrollable.
“But the problem is that legally we are not allowed to use them,” the director told Politico . In Belgium, Defense and the police have been able to “jam” under strict conditions for two years, but this is not allowed for individuals and companies. There are fears that drones could fall from the sky and cause damage or injury.
Last week, fifteen drones were observed above a military base in Elsenborn, Belgium. The Belgian Ministry of Defense said it would investigate the observation. Defense Minister Theo Francken said “it could be” that Russia is behind the drones, but that this still needs to be investigated further.
Drones have also been observed several times in other parts of Europe in recent weeks, such as at the airports of Copenhagen, Oslo and Munich.