Belgium approves purchase of five more Airbus H145M helicopters for Defence and Police.

Belgium has approved the purchase of five additional Airbus H145M helicopters, adding three aircraft for Defence and two for the Federal Police, bringing the future combined fleet to twenty units.

As reported by L'Avenir on November 28, 2025, Belgium decided to purchase five additional Airbus H145M helicopters after the Council of Ministers approved the acquisition during its Friday meeting, confirming an expansion of the future Defence and Federal Police fleet under the same investment framework used for previous orders. The announcement was made by Defence Minister Theo Francken and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, who both stated that the helicopters will be used for internal security and for reinforcing national capabilities during serious crises. This statement also follows the initial test flight of Belgium’s first H145M conducted two weeks earlier in Germany.
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By 2023, more than 1,900 helicopters from the BK117, EC145, and H145 families had been delivered worldwide for emergency medical services, military and police operations, rescue work, and general utility tasks. (Picture source: Airbus)

The Council of Ministers specifically approved the acquisition of three helicopters for Defence, while the Federal Police paid the deposit for two more H145Ms, creating a combined five-helicopter package that will follow the original order of 15 H145M helicopters made by Belgium on June 17, 2024. In serious crisis situations, these five helicopters are intended to reinforce the fifteen previously acquired aircraft so that a total of twenty H145Ms can be made available for national security tasks without delay. Defence retains responsibility for all maintenance, navigability, and fleet financing, ensuring that all twenty helicopters fall under a single management framework established within the ongoing investment program.

The Federal Police will be able to deploy the helicopters for daily missions that include search operations, pursuits, surveillance tasks, and urgent interventions required for public security activities. Belgian officials described the decision as one that allows both organisations to operate from the same fleet without duplicating structures. The announcement also mentioned that using this timing gave Defence access to the same commercial conditions as the earlier order, allowing three helicopters to be acquired on terms identical to those already negotiated. The total investment for this specific batch is about €70 million over five years. These five helicopters add to the earlier procurement valued at around €250 million for Defence.

On November 14, 2025, Belgium’s first H145M helicopter performed its initial test flight at Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth, marking the beginning of the certification and acceptance campaign that will precede delivery of the fleet to Beauvechain Air Base starting in 2026. The helicopter will be used in troop transport, medical evacuation, firefighting support, and assistance to special forces once operational, with a full capability expected by the end of 2027 to replace the Agusta A109 Hirundo that has been in service since the 1990s. The military H145Ms acquired by Belgium will carry serial numbers RL01 to RL15, while the Federal Police helicopters will progressively replace the MD900 Explorer fleet that entered service in the mid-1990s and accumulated over 10,000 flight hours.

The June 17, 2024, contract for seventeen helicopters included initial training, a five-year support package, starter spare parts, and mission training systems for Belgian crews and technicians. Technicians are already undergoing a six-week training cycle covering theoretical work, hands-on practice, and engine-specific training modules. Pilot instruction is scheduled to begin at Airbus in early 2026, after which Belgian instructor pilots will qualify during the summer of 2026. Once deliveries are complete, Belgium will operate a shared helicopter fleet supporting both national and international missions, integrated into the country’s STAR plan.

The H145M belongs to a helicopter family that originated from the BK117 programme developed under a cooperation agreement signed between Messerschmitt Bölkow Blohm and Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1977, with a prototype making a first flight in June 1979 at Ottobrunn. Over the years, the BK117 evolved through successive variants that improved cabin volume, structural strength, and operational performance, eventually becoming the EC145 and then the H145 with updated systems, engines, and a Fenestron shrouded tail rotor. The addition of a five-blade main rotor later increased payload capacity while reducing vibration and enhancing controllability for a range of missions. The H145M variant was created by Airbus as the military configuration with wiring, structure, and mission equipment adapted for armed forces and security agencies. The helicopter has been adopted by numerous operators across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria operate civil variants for emergency and rescue missions. Like Belgium, multiple countries in Europe and beyond use the H145M for police, gendarmerie, or maritime tasks.

The H145M is powered by two Safran Arriel 2E turboshaft engines rated at 828 shp each and equipped with full authority digital engine control, paired with the Helionix avionics suite containing a four-axis autopilot designed to reduce crew workload in demanding missions. The cockpit is fully compatible with night vision goggles and incorporates multifunction displays, moving maps, and system monitoring functions intended for both instrument and night operations. Mission equipment options include an electro-optical and infrared sensor turret, search and weather radar, a rescue hoist, a cargo hook, and a searchlight for low-visibility environments. The helicopter can be fitted with the HForce modular weapon system, allowing 12.7 mm machine gun pods, 20 mm cannon pods, 70 mm guided or unguided rockets, and, in some user configurations, the integration of anti-tank missiles such as Spike ER2. Available self-protection features include missile warning receivers, radar warning receivers, chaff and flare dispensers, and ballistic protection around critical components. Medical evacuation kits allow installation of stretchers, oxygen systems, and monitoring equipment. Mission consoles can be added for police, border, or search and rescue roles

The helicopter’s design features a compact twin-engine fuselage with a high-mounted main rotor and a Fenestron tail rotor that improves safety during ground operations and reduces external noise, which is relevant for urban or sensitive area missions. The cabin contains a flat floor and wide sliding side doors supported by rear clamshell doors, allowing fast loading of troops, equipment, or stretchers in restricted environments. Crashworthy seats, energy-absorbing landing gear, self-sealing fuel tanks, and structural redundancy contribute to survivability during hard landings or exposure to hostile conditions. Depending on configuration, the H145M typically carries two crew members and up to nine or ten passengers, or two stretcher patients with medical staff in medical evacuation layouts. The helicopter’s useful load can reach around 1,900 kilograms, depending on mission kits and fuel, while cruise speeds fall in the mid-200 kilometres per hour range with maximum speeds above that level. The aircraft has an operational range of approximately 600 to 650 kilometres and an endurance close to three and a half hours under standard load. Maintenance intervals and modular components are designed to limit downtime and provide predictable operating costs.

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.