HERSTAL, Belgium — One of Europe’s leading air defense firms has issued a warning regarding the increasing drone activity over its sensitive manufacturing sites, prompting calls for definitive regulations on countermeasures to neutralize or disable these aerial threats.
Alain Quevrin, the country director for Thales Belgium, expressed concern during an interview, stating, “We are seeing more drones than what was the case a few months ago.” He specifically mentioned the heightened drone sightings over the company’s Évegnée Fort facility, located in the eastern Liège region, which is the only Belgian site authorized to assemble and store explosives for its advanced 70 mm rockets.
Rising drone activity raises alarms
Quevrin’s remarks come as reports of unmanned aerial vehicles have surged across Europe, including instances in Poland, Romania, Germany, Norway, and Denmark in just the past month. While some drones, particularly those operating over Poland and Romania, have been confirmed as Russian, the origins of others remain more ambiguous.
In response to these concerns, Denmark recently enacted a temporary ban on drone operations, and NATO has initiated a new Eastern Sentry program aimed at addressing critical vulnerabilities in the alliance’s air defense capabilities.
“We are concerned about these developments,” Quevrin stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation as Thales races to expand its production capacity of unguided and laser-guided FZ275 rockets to 70,000 units within the next few years, contingent on sustained demand.
To enhance security, Thales has undertaken a significant initiative to implement detection systems across its facilities. Quevrin noted that while the company possesses the capability to deploy jammers to disrupt drone control signals, legal barriers currently restrict their use. “We are not allowed — legally,” he explained, pointing out potential risks associated with downed drones, such as causing injury or property damage.
Clarifying regulations for counter-drone measures
Quevrin emphasized the necessity for Belgium to establish clear protocols regarding drone sightings, particularly defining the demarcation between police and company responsibilities. “The process needs to be clarified,” he urged, as technicians diligently assembled the company’s munitions in immaculate laboratory settings.
Thales Belgium is reportedly experiencing unprecedented demand for its rocket systems, primarily driven by NATO’s urgent need to bolster airspace security. A significant portion of the current production output is directed towards Ukraine.
The rockets produced at Thales’ Herstal and Évegnée Fort facilities are designed to combat drone threats, with laser-guided variants effective against larger, high-altitude UAVs, including Iranian-manufactured Shahed drones. In contrast, unguided variants deploy numerous steel balls upon detonation, targeting swarms of smaller, low-altitude drones.
NATO has faced increasing scrutiny for its approach to recent airspace violations, particularly after its aircraft utilized expensive missiles to intercept Russian drones that were constructed from inexpensive materials like wood and foam.
Following the drone incursions over Poland, Thales has received a substantial influx of requests for its missile systems, which are compatible with NATO standards and boast an effective range of 8 kilometers. Quevrin referred to the rockets as a “plug-and-play solution” that adapts to various types of targets, with Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland among the firm’s principal NATO clients.
To adequately meet the growing demand, Quevrin called on the EU to facilitate the establishment of a coordinating body for cross-border defense projects and procurement. While the EU is prohibited from directly funding military equipment, it has introduced several initiatives, including the €150 billion SAFE loans-for-weapons program, to streamline joint arms procurement among its member states.