Dutch authorities stopped air traffic around Eindhoven Airport on Saturday after a series of drone sightings in the area. The airspace was completely closed to both civilian and military flights, an extreme precautionary measure taken that day, resulting in massive disruption.
The drone incursion started late Friday, when drones were first seen flying over the adjacent Volkel air force base. Officials refused to reveal how the drones were first detected or what response was taken to eliminate any threat. The absence of hard proof about the drones’ source has muddied inquiries since these missions launched in September.
Over the last few months, if you live in northern Europe, you will be aware that military installations and airfields have been increasingly plagued by drone phenomena. Significantly, protests have taken place at all four of the Dutch air bases, and at facilities in neighboring Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. This unprecedented pattern of activity and diplomacy has caused much heartburn among European defense officials.
In reaction to these persistent and shocking occurrences, European Union defense ministers from ten countries met to discuss the crisis. In response, they reached a consensus on the importance of building a regional “drone wall” to improve every layer of security in the region. Further, some of these individual nations are looking to deploy their own anti-drone defense strategies to protect their sovereign airspace within the U.S.
At the same time, facing accusations from Ukraine and speculation from other countries, Russia has claimed it had nothing to do with the drone appearances. This confusion over the origin of these drones is still creating an environment that prevents authorities from responding effectively.
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated that “counter-drone assets” are prepared and ready to intervene should further drone activity be detected. Right now, information about what specific countermeasures we can expect are under wraps.