Overview
- Bart De Wever said a NASAMS-type system has been ordered for the Port of Antwerp following reports in Belgian media.
- The Defence Ministry expects the first battery to arrive in 2027 and withheld operational details for security reasons.
- In 2025, drone activity forced temporary shutdowns at airports and a military airbase, with sightings reported over the port, nuclear plants, the BASF complex and the Europa terminal.
- Officials say NASAMS is intended to counter drones, fighter aircraft and other short-range aerial threats.
- Antwerp is Europe’s second-largest seaport and a petrochemical and logistics hub, while attribution for the 2025 drone incidents remains contested, with Moscow denying suggested links.