Belgium has placed an order through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency for up to 20 Airbus H145M helicopters for its Army and Federal Police.
Announced at the beginning of the Eurosatory defence and security event being held in Paris, France, the order includes 15 H145Ms for the Belgian Army, and a further two (plus three options) for the country’s Federal Police.
The move follows a major recent order from Germany for up to 82 more H145Ms, with Luxemburg, Hungary, Serbia, Thailand already operating the type. The U.S. Army is the largest single operator of the H145 family, with almost 500 UH-72 Lakotas.
“We are proud that Belgium is joining the growing community of H145M users,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, in a press release announcing the news.
“In Europe, the robust multi-role helicopter is becoming the reference for tactical airlift capability, special operations, and medical evacuation missions.”
The purchasing procedure for the aircraft was launched in March last year, but was officially given the green light following approval from Belgium’s Council of Ministers in last month.
Deliveries of the H145Ms — which are set to replace a fleet of 10 Agusta A109BAs — is scheduled to be complete by 2027.
Belgium plans to use the aircraft in a light utility role, with a focus on tactical air transport for special operations forces, and medevacs.
Announcing the procurement process last year, Ludivine Dedonder, Belgium’s Minister of Defense, highlighted the benefit of having the same type used by neighbors Germany and Luxembourg, as well as having fleet commonality with the Federal Police, in terms of training, maintenance and technical support.
“The collaboration with the Federal Police, which will also be equipped with five similar helicopters, allows optimal interoperability between these two departments responsible for security,” said Dedonder in a press release.
