(MENAFN) The United Kingdom has committed military assistance to Belgium following a spate of drone incursions into Belgian airspace, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton said Sunday.

Knighton, the UK’s chief of defense staff, revealed that his Belgian counterpart requested support this week as drones have appeared over several European nations, including Belgium.

"The Defence Secretary (John Healey) and I agreed at the end of last week that we would deploy our people, our equipment to Belgium to help them," he told media.

The latest drone sighting forced a temporary closure of Brussels Airport on Thursday night. This incident comes after previous drone activity near the Liege airport on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as drones spotted close to a Belgian military base.

"It is important to be clear, though, that we don’t know – and the Belgians don’t yet know – the source of those drones, but we will help them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to help Belgium," Knighton added.

Emphasizing NATO solidarity, he said the alliance’s members are committed to mutual support. “That’s why they are very happy to see UK military personnel deployed to support Belgium,” he noted.

Europe has seen a rising wave of drone incidents in recent months, often near airports or military facilities. This week, Belgium experienced incursions over a military base, raising regional security concerns.

Some European officials have pointed to Russia, suggesting the incidents are linked to hybrid warfare and the ongoing Ukraine conflict, though Moscow has strongly denied any involvement.

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