Belgium has ordered 17 Airbus H145M multi-role helicopters for its military and police forces.
NATO said the NATO Support and Procurement Agency signed the purchase contract with Airbus Helicopters on behalf of the government of Belgium during the Eurosatory 2024 defense and security trade show in Paris.
Belgium is a member of the military alliance’s Helicopters Support Partnership.
“We are proud that Belgium is joining the growing community of H145M users,” Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said in a statement.
H145M is designed to perform a range of mission capabilities, including troop and cargo transport, light attack, maritime security, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
“In Europe, the robust multi-role helicopter is becoming the reference for tactical airlift capability, special operations and medical evacuation missions,” Even said. “We are sure that the H145M will quickly become a key asset to the Belgian defence and security portfolio.”
According to Airbus, the helicopter is the quietest in its class. It has two high-performance Turbomeca Arriel 2E turboshaft engines, which offer 20 percent more power than its predecessor, the Arriel 1E2, installed on Airbus EC145.
H145M also features the Helionix digital avionics suite, which promises reduced pilot workload.
Belgium plans to give two of the multi-role helicopters to the federal police and the rest to the army. The first aircraft will be delivered in 2026.
Airbus’ H145 family of helicopters is in use in Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Thailand, Luxembourg and the United States.