At 1:45 AM, local police in Düren, Germany, observed 15 drones flying over the military domain of Elsenborn into German airspace. This incident is currently under investigation by Defensie.
Incident Overview
A Defensie expert, Jens Franssen, reported that the drones were detected coming from the direction of Elsenborn. The local police in Düren notified Defensie about this sighting. However, it appears that the information did not circulate adequately within Defensie.
Simultaneously, a Belgian test aircraft equipped for drone detection was present and also recorded the 15 drones. The origins of these drones and their operators remain unclear. Franssen noted that the Elsenborn base would not be a target for espionage given its limited intelligence value compared to other military sites like Kleine-Brogel, which is suspected to house American nuclear weapons.
Current Investigation Status
Defensie is conducting an investigation to gather more information regarding the incident. “It is a very bizarre incident,” added Franssen. The uncertainty surrounding the drones’ origin and control complicates the assessment of the situation. There is a clear need for better systems to detect, track, and identify such small drones.
