Belgium’s federal government has approved the purchase of hundreds of reconnaissance and surveillance mini-drones for its armed forces deployed in Romania and Lithuania, a program budgeted at €140.8 million between 2025 and 2028, officials said.
According to Belgian media reports on Dec. 14, the acquisition is intended to give troops on NATO’s eastern flank improved real-time situational awareness in increasingly complex operational environments. Defence Minister Theo Francken said the drones will allow soldiers to gather information faster, improve force protection and react more quickly during deployments, particularly in areas close to Russia and Belarus.
The decision, formally approved by the Council of Ministers on Dec. 12, is directly tied to current overseas missions rather than long-term structural modernization. Belgian forces in Romania support NATO activities linked to Black Sea security, while troops in Lithuania contribute to allied deterrence efforts in the Baltic region. Small unmanned aerial systems are increasingly viewed as essential tools for tactical-level reconnaissance in such settings.
The procurement will be carried out through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and includes training and maintenance alongside the drones themselves, signaling an effort to field the systems with full operational support from the outset.
Program details include:
Diehl Aerospace develops tablet-based control interface to link Eurofighter pilots with UAVs
View
-
Budget: €140.8 million (2025–2028)
-
2025 allocation: €53.7 million
-
Quantity: Hundreds of mini-drones
-
Role: Tactical reconnaissance and surveillance
-
Deployment focus: Belgian forces in Romania and Lithuania
Belgium’s move comes amid a broader reassessment of drone and counter-drone capabilities. Defence officials have indicated that future investments could significantly expand unmanned systems, electronic warfare and air-defense measures as drones become a permanent feature of the European security landscape.
