The surveillance of Belgian and Luxembourg airspace is in a state of increased vigilance during tomorrow’s NATO summit. That is what Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder himself came to determine at the air force base of Bevekom. She visited the Control & Reporting Center (CRC) that monitors the airspace and she also got to see some demonstrations.
In the CRC, Belgian and Luxembourg airspace is monitored around the clock every day. The CRC also pays extra attention to the safe conduct of tomorrow’s NATO summit. “When there are so many state leaders on our territory, there is an increased vigilance on the part of Defense anyway,” says Dedonder. “Our helicopters and our F-16s are ready to intervene if an unauthorized aircraft enters our airspace.” Those Defense aircraft that take off to intercept are guided from the CRC in Bevekom.
If something like this were to happen, there is a whole procedure with several steps. “If it’s a drone, a Defense helicopter will take to the skies,” it sounds. “If it is a faster aircraft, it will be a jet fighter. They will then try to guide the aircraft out of our airspace. Only if the device really does not respond to the advice and orders can we intervene militarily. This always requires authorization from me, but also from the Prime Minister.”
Minister Dedonder was also shown a number of specific Defense resources that can be deployed in the event of a crisis, both abroad and in his own country: an Agusta helicopter, an NH90 helicopter, a mine clearance robot, an underwater drone,… Finally there was another dynamic demonstration with a storm landing of the A400M.
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