At the Counter-UAS Technology Europe 2026 conference, C-UAS Hub Editor Adam Jeffs sat down with Adjutant-Chef Gregory Hoste, Small Arms Instructor, Force Protection, Belgian Air Force to discuss the service’s development of a 12-gauge shotgun concept for counter-drone operations.
The conversation explored how the Belgian Air Force approached the challenge of defending air bases against small drones while minimizing collateral damage in homeland security environments. Hoste explained how the concept emerged from concerns around air safety and the need for a last-line defensive option that could be safely employed around critical infrastructure and civilian areas.
