New aircraft for the Belgian Air Force
Belgium’s Strategic Vision 2025, approved by the Council of Ministers on 18 July 2025, confirms the country’s intent to acquire a new fleet of medium and heavy transport helicopters to meet NATO obligations and address gaps in air mobility.
Although no type has been named, the leading candidates for the heavy transport helicopter programme are the Boeing CH-47F Chinook Block and the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion. The Chinook is considered the most likely option, as it is already in service with the Netherlands and soon with Germany.
The acquisition is budgeted at €1,3 billion, with the first financial commitments scheduled for 2033. These helicopters will primarily transport special operations forces and their equipment, conduct medical evacuation missions, and support firefighting operations on Belgian territory.
The transition follows Belgium’s decision to retire its NH90-TTH fleet, in service for just over a decade. High operational costs, limited availability, and restricted deployment history prompted the decision. The country currently operates four NH90-TTHs, with the first aircraft leaving service in September 2025. Belgium will join a multinational NH90 support contract with France and Germany to cover remaining needs until retirement.
Beauvechain Air Base is expected to host the heavy transport helicopters, though this has not yet been officially confirmed. In June 2025, the government allocated €96 million to prepare the base for the arrival of fifteen Airbus H145M light multirole helicopters and five short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft for special forces. The first H145M is expected in April 2026.
For the STOL requirement, Belgium is considering several options. The PZL M28 offers strong multi-role potential, while the Dornier 228NXT is a reliable and cost-efficient alternative. The De Havilland Canada Twin Otter (model 300G or 400) remains a proven and widely used platform.
In May 2024, Belgium confirmed the order of seventeen H145Ms through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, with two destined for the Federal Police. Deliveries will include training, spare parts, and five years of support, with the fleet entering service by 2027. The H145Ms will replace the Agusta A109 Hirundo, in service since the 1990s, and the NH90-TTH. They will perform light utility lift, reconnaissance, and support tasks, though not heavy transport missions.
In parallel with the heavy-lift programme, Belgium is also acquiring four new search and rescue helicopters to free NH90-NFHs for naval duties, and upgrades to its maritime NH90 fleet under the BENESAM partnership (Belgisch-Nederlandse Samenwerking, Belgium-Netherlands Cooperation Accord) with the Netherlands.
Credit photos: Mark Broekhans and Frank Noort (both Scramble Archive)