Belgium will install an air-defence system at Europe’s second biggest port, Port of Antwerp, according to local media reports.
The report by Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen, citing Prime Minister Bart De Wever, follows multiple drone sightings last year that forced temporary closures of airports and a military airbase.
Drones were also spotted over the port itself, including above nuclear power plants, the BASF chemical site, and the Europa terminal.
“An air-defence system is coming to the port of Antwerp. It’s a Nasams type and has already been ordered,” De Wever said at a yearly Community Meet-Up of the port of Antwerp-Bruges. The defence ministry expects the first battery to arrive in 2027.
The system is designed to protect against fighter jets, drones, or other short-range threats.
Neither the Port of Antwerp-Bruges nor the Belgian government immediately responded to requests for comment.
Port of Antwerp is the second-largest seaport in Europe, and handles 290 million tonnes of cargo annually, serving as a major hub for container, breakbulk, and chemical transport.
According to the 2025 annual report by the European Union Drugs Agency, more drugs flowed through Antwerp’s port than any other European facility.
Belgium faced multiple drone sightings and disruptions in 2025, including drones over the Port of Antwerp in November 2025.
Maritime police spotted drones over the port after receiving several reports. Port of Antwerp-Bruges spokesperson Lennart Verstappen said at the time: “Every month, we receive an average of 200 drone flight requests over the port, for example, on behalf of companies.
“These requests are made through a standard procedure”.
Liege airport was forced to temporarily halt flights twice in a week due to a drone sighting in November 2025.
The disruption came just three days after drone sightings in the capital, Brussels, and in Liege forced the diversion of many incoming planes and the grounding of some due to depart.
Sightings of drones over airports and military bases have caused major disruptions across Europe in recent months.
Authorities in some countries have linked Russia to the incidents, saying they form part of Moscow’s “hybrid warfare” campaign against Europe. Moscow has denied any connection to the incidents.