Belgium has decided to enter into a contract for the acquisition of drones from a Latvian company following a series of incidents involving unknown UAVs. According to Reuters,
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that he signed an agreement in Riga on Monday with Origin Robotics to purchase its autonomous ‘Blaze’ drones designed for detecting and destroying enemy UAVs.
He stated that within a few weeks, these anti-drone systems would enhance Belgium's defense capabilities.
This agreement is part of a 50 million euro (57.99 million dollar) package aimed at countering drones, as reported by the Belgian defense ministry, without specifying how much of this amount will be received by Origin Robotics.
Francken indicated that he ultimately plans to invest 500 million euros in a much larger drone countermeasure package, which will include modern radar systems and advanced jamming capabilities, though he did not provide a timeline for its completion.
Commenting on the incursions of unidentified drones, Francken noted that Belgium is under close surveillance due to the freezing of Russian assets in the Brussels-based Euroclear securities depository.
It should be noted that since the fall of 2025, Belgium has been experiencing incidents involving unknown drones, the most recent of which occurred on November 10 over the Doel nuclear power plant, where three UAVs were spotted. In response, the Chief of Staff of the Belgian Army, Frederic Vancina, ordered military personnel to shoot down unidentified drones.