Client:
Belgium Police
Industry:
Public Safety
Location:
Belgium
Purpose:
Drone Operations
About:
The Belgian Police is a national law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining public order, ensuring safety, and enforcing the law across Belgium. It operates at both local and federal levels, covering a wide range of tasks from routine patrols and traffic control to crisis response and criminal investigations. With a growing focus on innovation, the Belgian Police integrates advanced technologies—like drones—to enhance real-time situational awareness, improve operational coordination, and support frontline decision-making during dynamic and large-scale incidents.
For the Belgian Police, having eyes in the sky is only the first step. The real operational value lies in getting that visual intelligence to the right people at the exact moment they need it. Whether they are coordinating a manhunt on the ground or managing a large-scale rescue mission.
By integrating a centralized drone platform, the Belgian Police have transformed their aerial operations into a unified intelligence network, ensuring that every officer shares the same tactical reality.
The challenge: bridging the gap between the air and the ground
During complex operations, such as a large-scale disaster exercise or a suspect pursuit, the primary obstacle is the "information gap." The Belgian Police found that while drones provided a valuable perspective, that data was often trapped on the pilot’s controller.
In the heat of a manhunt, explaining a suspect's location over the radio is slow and prone to error. The force needed a way to synchronize multiple drones simultaneously. One to provide a detailed zoom on targets and another to maintain a broad overview, while ensuring command centers could see exactly where each drone was positioned, which way it was facing, and how it was moving through the airspace.
The solution: a unified all-in-one platform for field operations
To solve this, the Belgian Police integrated the AirHub Platform to create a seamless workflow from the moment an officer arrives on-site. By using a single, comprehensive application, the force replaced fragmented tools with one centralized system that handles everything from live streaming to automated compliance.
Simplified mission starts: Officers open the app on their controller to start a mission immediately. The system maps their location and telemetry, allowing them to focus on the flight while the platform handles the data.
Multi-drone situational awareness: The platform allows the command center to view multiple streams at once. This enables a "layered" tactical approach where one drone tracks a target with high-precision zoom while another provides the wider context.
Live telemetry and tracking: Beyond just video, the platform displays the drone's flight path and orientation on a live map, giving everyone involved a clear understanding of the airspace.
Automated logging and reporting: Every flight and battery swap is automatically captured in a digital logbook, ensuring that the administrative side of the operation is handled without manual input from the pilot.
"For us, it was essential that it was an all-in-one platform. The streamed images all converge in one place, and we have a perfect overview afterwards through the log data." - Kristof van den Broeck, First Inspector.
Watch how the Belgian Police use the platform to maintain total situational awareness during their missions in the below video.
The impact: from tactical success to saving lives
The integration of the platform has moved beyond a theoretical advantage, delivering measurable results in critical Belgian Police operations. By turning drone data into actionable intelligence, the force has seen a direct improvement in both officer safety and public outcomes.
The most significant impact has been the successful recovery of two missing persons who were found "alive and well" specifically due to the drone deployment via the platform. Furthermore, the ability to direct ground units through specific streets during pursuits has led to the successful apprehension of suspects who might otherwise have evaded capture. This success is supported by a collaborative partnership with the development team, ensuring that the platform's updates are fast, frequent, and tailored to the unique demands of law enforcement in the field.
"We have already been able to find two missing persons alive and well thanks to the deployment of the drone via the platform." - Bram Schoors, Chief Inspector + Drone Pilot Federal Police Belgium
Ready to elevate your situational awareness?
The Belgian Police have proven that the right platform doesn't just manage drones, but that it really saves lives. Whether you are managing public safety, emergency response, or complex security operations, our all-in-one platform is built to provide the clarity you need when every second counts.
Book a demo with one of our experts to learn more.