Sir Richard Knighton told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that his Belgian counterpart had asked for assistance earlier this week and that equipment and personnel were now on the way. Brussels Airport was forced to close temporarily on Thursday night after drones were spotted nearby. They were also seen in other locations, including a military base. It follows a series of drone incursion over several Nato nations that disrupted air travel. Russia has denied accusations of conducting "hybrid warfare" on allies of Ukraine.

Sir Richard said it was not known for sure if the incursions were by Russia, but added it was "plausible" they had been ordered by Moscow. Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement: "As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace".

Members of the RAF's 2 Force Protection Wing are likely to be deployed, the BBC understands. Alongside Nato allies, Sir Richard added that the UK would help Belgium "by providing our kit and capability". The German defence ministry said on Friday that it too would support Belgium with anti-drone measures after a request from Brussels. About 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers were affected by Thursday's disruption, with the carrier saying it faced "considerable costs" from cancelling or diverting dozens of flights.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and the Belgian security services have said they suspect Russia of being behind the incursion, but Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken previously admitted there was no evidence to suggest this. "At first, drones flying over our military bases were seen as our problem," Francken said earlier this week. "Now it has become a serious threat affecting civilian infrastructure across multiple European countries." (BBC)