Latvian Blaze interceptor becomes Belgium’s fast answer to rising drone intrusions
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Belgium has launched a €50 million urgent counter-drone acquisition program that includes the purchase of Blaze interceptor drones from Latvia’s Origin Robotics, following a series of coordinated incursions over airports, nuclear facilities, and military installations.
On November 18, 2025, the Lativan company Origin Robotics announced that Belgium will purchase its Blaze interceptor drones, as part of an urgent counter-drone acquisition program valued at €50 million, following repeated drone incursions over airports, military sites, and critical infrastructure. Signed at Riga during the visit of Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken, this contract will provide the drones within weeks while the Belgian Ministry of Defence prepares a longer-term €500 million anti-drone programme. The Blaze was selected after weeks of airspace interruptions that forced Belgium to call for assistance from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, and will strengthen the country’s short-term operational resilience while broader airspace surveillance and jamming upgrades are finalised.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Origin Blaze combines radar-based detection, AI-powered computer vision, and electro-optical/infrared sensors to autonomously acquire, lock, and engage fast-moving aerial targets such as loitering munitions or drones. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
In recent weeks, Belgium has experienced multiple unauthorised drone incursions over critical infrastructure, beginning with repeated sightings at Brussels Airport and Liège Airport, where overnight drone activity resulted in cancellations, diversions, and stranded passengers when dozens of flights were disrupted. Similar sightings were reported above the Doel Nuclear Power Plant, while the Kleine Brogel Air Base, which is widely believed to store U.S. nuclear weapons, recorded sightings of relatively large drones flying in formation during two consecutive nights. A jammer deployed at the base failed to neutralise those drones, demonstrating the limits of Belgium’s current equipment. Belgian authorities authorised soldiers to shoot down unidentified drones over defence installations as incidents accumulated. Officials stated that the pattern of activity appeared coordinated and extended beyond isolated civilian misuse. These incursions contributed directly to the government’s decision to accelerate procurement of new counter-drone equipment.
Belgium requested assistance from allied countries to help track and mitigate incursions, prompting specialised counter-UAS teams from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France to deploy equipment, personnel, and training support. Belgian officials acknowledged that domestic detection and tracking systems could not follow all incoming drones and described the incursions as consistent with broader European patterns seen in Germany, Denmark, and Poland, where similar overflights of airports, ports, and military facilities have been reported. Belgian authorities noted that the country hosts NATO headquarters, European Union institutions, and the Euroclear financial platform, which holds significant frozen Russian assets, and that these factors may contribute to its being targeted by hostile actors. Officials clarified that attribution remains unconfirmed and that Russia denied involvement, but the government considered the incidents indicative of systemic hybrid threat activity. These conditions reinforced the government’s assessment that the threat is structural and must be addressed through immediate and long-term investments, including with interceptor drones.
Interceptor drones, such as the Origin Blaze, emerged during the Cold War to locate, pursue, and neutralise hostile unmanned aerial systems, including low-cost drones and military loitering munitions, by closing distance and engaging with an onboard warhead, rather than relying on traditional surface-to-air missiles or ground-based guns alone. Early counter-drone approaches relied heavily on manually piloted drones or repurposed air defence systems, but these proved inadequate against manoeuvrable and rapidly deployed UAVs, as well as continuous waves of attacks. Therefore, the development progressed toward autonomous and semi-autonomous interceptors combining radar-based detection, electro-optical and infrared sensors, onboard computer vision, and operator-supervised engagement logic. The aim was to reduce operator workload while retaining human oversight and minimise the risk of unintended detonation or misidentification. Global programs appeared, including compact tube-launched European systems, reusable American VTOL interceptors, and high-speed Russian and Chinese solutions.
Interceptor drones now form an intermediate layer between anti-aircraft guns and costly surface-to-air missile systems, and offer scalable options for countering drones used in large numbers, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine, where thousands of UAVs operate each month. Created within this wider evolution, the Blaze was unveiled on May 6, 2025, by Origin Robotics, a Latvian defence start-up created after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as a man-portable autonomous interceptor intended for fast-moving UAVs and loitering munitions. The Blaze weighs under 6 kilograms and carries an 800-gram high-explosive fragmentation warhead, which can detonate on impact or in an airburst close to a target. The airframe has a near-cylindrical fuselage with four tail wings and four wingtip pods, each housing an electric motor driving a three-blade propeller. The Blaze lifts off vertically and transitions to horizontal flight by rotating its body once airborne. Radar-based detection from an integrated command-and-control network guides the initial vector while the onboard electro-optical and infrared sensors, combined with artificial intelligence, refine identification and lock-on. Operator confirmation is required before engagement, ensuring human decision points remain part of the sequence.
The Blaze is designed for ranges beyond ten kilometres, with some data indicating up to twenty kilometres, and it offers around twenty minutes of flight time at cruise speed. Origin Robotics states that the Blaze can engage targets travelling up to approximately 220 km/h before performance becomes constrained. The Latvian interceptor is single-use per target but supports multi-interceptor coordination through mesh radio networking, allowing simultaneous engagements of multiple drones. Safety features include a three-level arming mechanism to prevent unintended detonation, an electronic safe-and-arm device aligned with NATO safety requirements, and a wave-off function allowing the operator to abort until final approach. A self-destruct protocol activates if the drone breaches its geofence, loses communication, or encounters a critical failure. The transport case functions as both a charging dock and a launch station and enables tool-less assembly, with the first interceptor airborne in under ten minutes and subsequent drones in under one minute.
Origin Robotics states that Blaze is intended to be significantly cheaper than the UAVs it targets and described it as at least ten times cheaper than widely used attack drones such as Shahed-type loitering munitions, estimated at around $70,000 per unit. Media coverage in Belgium included commentary from a retired colonel who noted that the 800-gram warhead may appear small but is sufficient to damage the weak points of an armoured vehicle, implying a destructive effect against drones when detonated nearby. Belgium has not publicly disclosed the number of units purchased or their unit cost, but assessments suggested that several hundred interceptors may be needed due to the expendable nature of the system. Origin Robotics positioned Blaze as a counter-UAS layer intended to complement traditional air defence assets in environments where low-cost drones saturate airspace. Ukraine is evaluating Blaze further, and testing has reportedly generated positive feedback.
Origin Robotics also announced plans to begin the mass production of thousands of Blaze interceptors per year beginning in December, with contracts being prepared for several unnamed countries and marketing focused on all three Baltic states, NATO members, and European partners. Its earlier system, the Beak, is a man-portable drone-launched precision-guided weapon with reconnaissance and strike variants, already used by Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Ukraine, and features an optronic gimbal with day, spotter, and thermal sensors and payload options of two, four, or six munitions. The Blaze’s development has been supported by national and European defence programs, including a €4.5 million European Defence Fund allocation.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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Belgium has launched a €50 million urgent counter-drone acquisition program that includes the purchase of Blaze interceptor drones from Latvia’s Origin Robotics, following a series of coordinated incursions over airports, nuclear facilities, and military installations.
On November 18, 2025, the Lativan company Origin Robotics announced that Belgium will purchase its Blaze interceptor drones, as part of an urgent counter-drone acquisition program valued at €50 million, following repeated drone incursions over airports, military sites, and critical infrastructure. Signed at Riga during the visit of Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken, this contract will provide the drones within weeks while the Belgian Ministry of Defence prepares a longer-term €500 million anti-drone programme. The Blaze was selected after weeks of airspace interruptions that forced Belgium to call for assistance from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, and will strengthen the country’s short-term operational resilience while broader airspace surveillance and jamming upgrades are finalised.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Origin Blaze combines radar-based detection, AI-powered computer vision, and electro-optical/infrared sensors to autonomously acquire, lock, and engage fast-moving aerial targets such as loitering munitions or drones. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
In recent weeks, Belgium has experienced multiple unauthorised drone incursions over critical infrastructure, beginning with repeated sightings at Brussels Airport and Liège Airport, where overnight drone activity resulted in cancellations, diversions, and stranded passengers when dozens of flights were disrupted. Similar sightings were reported above the Doel Nuclear Power Plant, while the Kleine Brogel Air Base, which is widely believed to store U.S. nuclear weapons, recorded sightings of relatively large drones flying in formation during two consecutive nights. A jammer deployed at the base failed to neutralise those drones, demonstrating the limits of Belgium’s current equipment. Belgian authorities authorised soldiers to shoot down unidentified drones over defence installations as incidents accumulated. Officials stated that the pattern of activity appeared coordinated and extended beyond isolated civilian misuse. These incursions contributed directly to the government’s decision to accelerate procurement of new counter-drone equipment.
Belgium requested assistance from allied countries to help track and mitigate incursions, prompting specialised counter-UAS teams from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France to deploy equipment, personnel, and training support. Belgian officials acknowledged that domestic detection and tracking systems could not follow all incoming drones and described the incursions as consistent with broader European patterns seen in Germany, Denmark, and Poland, where similar overflights of airports, ports, and military facilities have been reported. Belgian authorities noted that the country hosts NATO headquarters, European Union institutions, and the Euroclear financial platform, which holds significant frozen Russian assets, and that these factors may contribute to its being targeted by hostile actors. Officials clarified that attribution remains unconfirmed and that Russia denied involvement, but the government considered the incidents indicative of systemic hybrid threat activity. These conditions reinforced the government’s assessment that the threat is structural and must be addressed through immediate and long-term investments, including with interceptor drones.
Interceptor drones, such as the Origin Blaze, emerged during the Cold War to locate, pursue, and neutralise hostile unmanned aerial systems, including low-cost drones and military loitering munitions, by closing distance and engaging with an onboard warhead, rather than relying on traditional surface-to-air missiles or ground-based guns alone. Early counter-drone approaches relied heavily on manually piloted drones or repurposed air defence systems, but these proved inadequate against manoeuvrable and rapidly deployed UAVs, as well as continuous waves of attacks. Therefore, the development progressed toward autonomous and semi-autonomous interceptors combining radar-based detection, electro-optical and infrared sensors, onboard computer vision, and operator-supervised engagement logic. The aim was to reduce operator workload while retaining human oversight and minimise the risk of unintended detonation or misidentification. Global programs appeared, including compact tube-launched European systems, reusable American VTOL interceptors, and high-speed Russian and Chinese solutions.
Interceptor drones now form an intermediate layer between anti-aircraft guns and costly surface-to-air missile systems, and offer scalable options for countering drones used in large numbers, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine, where thousands of UAVs operate each month. Created within this wider evolution, the Blaze was unveiled on May 6, 2025, by Origin Robotics, a Latvian defence start-up created after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as a man-portable autonomous interceptor intended for fast-moving UAVs and loitering munitions. The Blaze weighs under 6 kilograms and carries an 800-gram high-explosive fragmentation warhead, which can detonate on impact or in an airburst close to a target. The airframe has a near-cylindrical fuselage with four tail wings and four wingtip pods, each housing an electric motor driving a three-blade propeller. The Blaze lifts off vertically and transitions to horizontal flight by rotating its body once airborne. Radar-based detection from an integrated command-and-control network guides the initial vector while the onboard electro-optical and infrared sensors, combined with artificial intelligence, refine identification and lock-on. Operator confirmation is required before engagement, ensuring human decision points remain part of the sequence.
The Blaze is designed for ranges beyond ten kilometres, with some data indicating up to twenty kilometres, and it offers around twenty minutes of flight time at cruise speed. Origin Robotics states that the Blaze can engage targets travelling up to approximately 220 km/h before performance becomes constrained. The Latvian interceptor is single-use per target but supports multi-interceptor coordination through mesh radio networking, allowing simultaneous engagements of multiple drones. Safety features include a three-level arming mechanism to prevent unintended detonation, an electronic safe-and-arm device aligned with NATO safety requirements, and a wave-off function allowing the operator to abort until final approach. A self-destruct protocol activates if the drone breaches its geofence, loses communication, or encounters a critical failure. The transport case functions as both a charging dock and a launch station and enables tool-less assembly, with the first interceptor airborne in under ten minutes and subsequent drones in under one minute.
Origin Robotics states that Blaze is intended to be significantly cheaper than the UAVs it targets and described it as at least ten times cheaper than widely used attack drones such as Shahed-type loitering munitions, estimated at around $70,000 per unit. Media coverage in Belgium included commentary from a retired colonel who noted that the 800-gram warhead may appear small but is sufficient to damage the weak points of an armoured vehicle, implying a destructive effect against drones when detonated nearby. Belgium has not publicly disclosed the number of units purchased or their unit cost, but assessments suggested that several hundred interceptors may be needed due to the expendable nature of the system. Origin Robotics positioned Blaze as a counter-UAS layer intended to complement traditional air defence assets in environments where low-cost drones saturate airspace. Ukraine is evaluating Blaze further, and testing has reportedly generated positive feedback.
Origin Robotics also announced plans to begin the mass production of thousands of Blaze interceptors per year beginning in December, with contracts being prepared for several unnamed countries and marketing focused on all three Baltic states, NATO members, and European partners. Its earlier system, the Beak, is a man-portable drone-launched precision-guided weapon with reconnaissance and strike variants, already used by Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Ukraine, and features an optronic gimbal with day, spotter, and thermal sensors and payload options of two, four, or six munitions. The Blaze’s development has been supported by national and European defence programs, including a €4.5 million European Defence Fund allocation.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
