Civil and military air traffic at Eindhoven airport, in the south of the Netherlands, has been suspended after the incursion of several drones into those facilities, which also house a military air base, was detected. The Ministry of Defense has subsequently indicated that the number of unmanned devices involved in what is the second incident of this type in the country in less than 24 hours is unknown.
On Friday night, the Netherlands Air Force had attempted to shoot down from the ground other drones that were sighted over the Volkel base, to the east of the country, and about 40 kilometers from Eindhoven. According to the Ministry, weapons were used in the operation. The drones, which flew away, They have not been recovered.
“The anti-drone teams are ready to act,” said the Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, on his account on the social network X. “There is an investigation underway,” he added.
The unmanned aircraft detected over Volkel were discovered by surveillance personnel between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Friday, and the Air Force then went into action. In an official statement, the Ministry of Defense said that the military police and law enforcement agencies had been informed of the incident.
In the Eindhoven airport incident, flights had to be diverted to Rotterdam airports, Brussels and Weeze, Germany. It is not yet clear what type of drones were seen over the facilities. The Ministry of Defense has specified that it is also investigating “who or what exactly is behind it.”
Current air regulations prohibit the use of drones near airports given the risk this poses to aviation. In the case of military bases and installations, it is also a question of operational security. Several European countries have sighted drones over airports and military areas in recent weeks. It has occurred, among others, in Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Norway and Denmark.
