European air defence manufacturer reports more unidentified drone sightings over its secret factories

European air defence manufacturer Thales Belgium has reported an increase in the number of unidentified drones flying over its secure factories.

Source: Politico

Quote from Thales Belgium director Alain Quevrin: "We are seeing more drones than what was the case a few months ago."

Details: Quevrin said unknown drones had been observed over the company's Évegnée Fort site in the eastern Liège region. This is the only site in Belgium where the company is licensed to assemble and store explosives for its 70 mm rockets.

The director stressed that the company is concerned by these sightings. He noted that the rise in drone activity comes as Thales seeks to double production capacity for guided and unguided FZ275 rockets, aiming to reach an output of up to 70,000 units over the next few years.

He also said that since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Thales has received dozens of requests for its rockets from Poland. The director pointed out that the rockets meet NATO standards, allowing them to be used in existing weapons systems.

Quevrin added that Thales Belgium already has drone‑detection systems installed at its sites. The company could also deploy signal‑jamming systems to suppress UAVs, but it is not doing so for now because they are legally prohibited from doing so, he said, adding that one concern is that a downed drone could cause damage or injure people.

Quevrin said the Belgian government needs to set out clear guidance on how to handle such incidents, in particular defining where police responsibilities end and companies' responsibilities begin.

According to Politico, the rockets produced at the Évegnée Fort and Erstal plants can be used against drones, and a laser‑guided version is aimed at larger, high‑altitude UAVs – for example, Russian attack Shahed drones.

Background: These rockets use the FZ123 warhead and are already in use in Ukraine. Thomas Colinet, Thales Belgium's director of land vehicles and tactical systems, said Kyiv's demand for them exceeds what the company can currently produce.

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