Belgium confirms €1.3 billion plan for heavy transport helicopters dedicated to special forces
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On August 24, 2025, L’Avenir pointed out that Belgium’s Strategic Vision 2025, approved by the Council of Ministers on July 18, formally 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 capacity.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Potential candidates for Belgium’s heavy transport helicopter program include the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, as no European aircraft currently exists in this category. (Picture source: Belgian Air Force)
The acquisition is budgeted at 1.289 billion euros, with the first year of financial engagement scheduled for 2033, and is linked to the Special Operations portfolio under the category “SO Air Task Unit – Medium/Heavy Transport Helicopters.” The plan specifies that these helicopters will be used primarily to transport special operations forces and their equipment, conduct helicopter medical evacuation, and support firefighting missions on Belgian territory. Unlike earlier non-binding recommendations, the Vision describes the project as a concrete capability objective tied to a defense budget path based on sustaining 2 percent of GDP until 2033, with an emphasis on NATO deliverables and collective defense integration.
The transition to this new category of helicopters follows the decision to retire the NH90 TTH fleet, which has been in service for just over a decade. Belgium currently operates four NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopters, but their high operational costs, limited availability, and restricted deployment history led to the decision to withdraw them, with the first aircraft leaving service in September 2025. Reports from the Belgian Air Component note that the NH90 TTH had only one overseas deployment in Mali in 2018 under MINUSMA, and cost per flight hour estimates were cited at 10,000 to 15,000 euros, higher than the F-16 in certain cases. Belgium has opted to withdraw the NH90 TTHs entirely and join a multinational NH90 support contract with France and Germany to cover remaining needs until retirement. This leaves a gap in medium and heavy transport capabilities, which the Strategic Vision seeks to address through a future procurement of heavier aircraft.
Beauvechain Air Base in Flemish Brabant is expected to host the new capability, though the location has not been officially confirmed. Beauvechain has been the center of Belgian rotary-wing operations since 2010 and is already undergoing infrastructure investments. In June 2025, the government approved 96 million euros to prepare the base for the arrival of 15 Airbus H145M light multirole helicopters and five short takeoff and landing aircraft for special forces. The first H145M for the Defense Component is expected in April 2026. In May 2024, Belgium confirmed the order of 17 H145M helicopters through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, with two airframes destined for the Federal Police. Deliveries will include training, spare parts, and five years of support, with the fleet entering service by 2027. These helicopters will replace the Agusta A109 Hirundo, in service since the 1990s, and the NH90 TTH, and will provide light utility lift, reconnaissance, and support tasks, while not fulfilling heavy transport missions.
In parliamentary discussions on July 2, 2025, Defense Minister Theo Francken stated that Belgium intends to acquire 11 helicopters, whereas earlier STAR planning language referred to eight to ten airframes. The minister emphasized that the type has not yet been chosen, although the Boeing CH-47F Chinook was specifically mentioned as a possibility, alongside other alternatives. The Belgian General Directorate for Materiel Resources has highlighted the operational requirement to deploy a company-sized para-commando unit of more than 100 troops in a single lift, which aligns with the carrying capacity of heavy transport helicopters. The official position remains that final selection will require a full study and political consultation. The absence of European aircraft in this class makes US platforms the only current options, with the Boeing Chinook and Sikorsky CH-53 being the primary candidates. Analysts note that the Airbus H225M Caracal, although lighter, could theoretically be considered, but its payload of 5,700 kilograms is roughly half of the Chinook’s 10,000-kilogram internal load capacity.
The Boeing CH-47F Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter designed with a tandem-rotor configuration that removes the need for a tail rotor and directs all engine power to lift and propulsion. The Block II version, now in production, introduces reinforced fuselage sections, a redesigned drivetrain, and an updated fuel system, which together raise the maximum gross weight by approximately 1,800 kilograms and increase operational range for standard payloads. Its systems include a Digital Automatic Flight Control System, the Common Avionics Architecture System with glass cockpit displays, and a reconfigurable Cargo On/Off Loading System that allows rapid changes between passenger and freight configurations. The aircraft has a triple external hook assembly enabling it to carry single, dual, or three independent sling loads. Standard capacity figures show it can transport up to 10,000 kilograms internally or externally, depending on mission type. In-flight refueling capability is also integrated, supporting long-range missions, allowing the Chinook to perform troop transport, equipment lift, and medical evacuation missions in support of national or allied operations.
Regional developments support the prospect of a Chinook purchase, given that Germany selected the CH-47F Block II in 2023 to replace its CH-53G fleet, while the Netherlands already operates 20 Chinooks under its replacement and modernization program. These countries, along with the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, and Italy, are all NATO operators of the type, providing interoperability benefits for Belgium if it chooses the same aircraft. The German contract for 60 helicopters is valued at 6.27 billion euros for procurement, with additional costs for infrastructure and maintenance raising the total project cost to 8 billion euros. The procurement of such helicopters in Belgium is therefore seen as part of a broader NATO trend toward standardization in the heavy-lift category, especially in the absence of European industry offerings. Belgium’s earlier STAR plan explicitly referenced the ambition to acquire a heavy transport helicopter certified for special operations, with wording closely matching Chinook specifications, though government officials stress no official decision has been made.
The Strategic Vision 2025 integrates the medium and heavy transport helicopter project within a broader modernization framework for the Belgian Armed Forces between 2026 and 2034. Alongside heavy lift, Belgium is acquiring H145M light utility helicopters, four new search and rescue helicopters to free NH90 NFHs for naval missions, and upgrades to its maritime NH90 fleet under the BENESAM partnership with the Netherlands. The strategy also calls for the integration of manned-unmanned teaming concepts, where light helicopters could operate in coordination with drones for reconnaissance, support, and tactical missions, extending their roles beyond conventional limits. Within this context, the future medium-heavy fleet is designed to provide strategic mobility, complement lighter types, restore lost NH90 capacity, and ensure Belgium can meet NATO expectations. While funding has been approved and a 2033 start date has been set for commitments, future governments will need to confirm and sustain the procurement timeline to ensure the plan’s execution.
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On August 24, 2025, L’Avenir pointed out that Belgium’s Strategic Vision 2025, approved by the Council of Ministers on July 18, formally 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 capacity.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Potential candidates for Belgium’s heavy transport helicopter program include the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, as no European aircraft currently exists in this category. (Picture source: Belgian Air Force)
The acquisition is budgeted at 1.289 billion euros, with the first year of financial engagement scheduled for 2033, and is linked to the Special Operations portfolio under the category “SO Air Task Unit – Medium/Heavy Transport Helicopters.” The plan specifies that these helicopters will be used primarily to transport special operations forces and their equipment, conduct helicopter medical evacuation, and support firefighting missions on Belgian territory. Unlike earlier non-binding recommendations, the Vision describes the project as a concrete capability objective tied to a defense budget path based on sustaining 2 percent of GDP until 2033, with an emphasis on NATO deliverables and collective defense integration.
The transition to this new category of helicopters follows the decision to retire the NH90 TTH fleet, which has been in service for just over a decade. Belgium currently operates four NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopters, but their high operational costs, limited availability, and restricted deployment history led to the decision to withdraw them, with the first aircraft leaving service in September 2025. Reports from the Belgian Air Component note that the NH90 TTH had only one overseas deployment in Mali in 2018 under MINUSMA, and cost per flight hour estimates were cited at 10,000 to 15,000 euros, higher than the F-16 in certain cases. Belgium has opted to withdraw the NH90 TTHs entirely and join a multinational NH90 support contract with France and Germany to cover remaining needs until retirement. This leaves a gap in medium and heavy transport capabilities, which the Strategic Vision seeks to address through a future procurement of heavier aircraft.
Beauvechain Air Base in Flemish Brabant is expected to host the new capability, though the location has not been officially confirmed. Beauvechain has been the center of Belgian rotary-wing operations since 2010 and is already undergoing infrastructure investments. In June 2025, the government approved 96 million euros to prepare the base for the arrival of 15 Airbus H145M light multirole helicopters and five short takeoff and landing aircraft for special forces. The first H145M for the Defense Component is expected in April 2026. In May 2024, Belgium confirmed the order of 17 H145M helicopters through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, with two airframes destined for the Federal Police. Deliveries will include training, spare parts, and five years of support, with the fleet entering service by 2027. These helicopters will replace the Agusta A109 Hirundo, in service since the 1990s, and the NH90 TTH, and will provide light utility lift, reconnaissance, and support tasks, while not fulfilling heavy transport missions.
In parliamentary discussions on July 2, 2025, Defense Minister Theo Francken stated that Belgium intends to acquire 11 helicopters, whereas earlier STAR planning language referred to eight to ten airframes. The minister emphasized that the type has not yet been chosen, although the Boeing CH-47F Chinook was specifically mentioned as a possibility, alongside other alternatives. The Belgian General Directorate for Materiel Resources has highlighted the operational requirement to deploy a company-sized para-commando unit of more than 100 troops in a single lift, which aligns with the carrying capacity of heavy transport helicopters. The official position remains that final selection will require a full study and political consultation. The absence of European aircraft in this class makes US platforms the only current options, with the Boeing Chinook and Sikorsky CH-53 being the primary candidates. Analysts note that the Airbus H225M Caracal, although lighter, could theoretically be considered, but its payload of 5,700 kilograms is roughly half of the Chinook’s 10,000-kilogram internal load capacity.
The Boeing CH-47F Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter designed with a tandem-rotor configuration that removes the need for a tail rotor and directs all engine power to lift and propulsion. The Block II version, now in production, introduces reinforced fuselage sections, a redesigned drivetrain, and an updated fuel system, which together raise the maximum gross weight by approximately 1,800 kilograms and increase operational range for standard payloads. Its systems include a Digital Automatic Flight Control System, the Common Avionics Architecture System with glass cockpit displays, and a reconfigurable Cargo On/Off Loading System that allows rapid changes between passenger and freight configurations. The aircraft has a triple external hook assembly enabling it to carry single, dual, or three independent sling loads. Standard capacity figures show it can transport up to 10,000 kilograms internally or externally, depending on mission type. In-flight refueling capability is also integrated, supporting long-range missions, allowing the Chinook to perform troop transport, equipment lift, and medical evacuation missions in support of national or allied operations.
Regional developments support the prospect of a Chinook purchase, given that Germany selected the CH-47F Block II in 2023 to replace its CH-53G fleet, while the Netherlands already operates 20 Chinooks under its replacement and modernization program. These countries, along with the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, and Italy, are all NATO operators of the type, providing interoperability benefits for Belgium if it chooses the same aircraft. The German contract for 60 helicopters is valued at 6.27 billion euros for procurement, with additional costs for infrastructure and maintenance raising the total project cost to 8 billion euros. The procurement of such helicopters in Belgium is therefore seen as part of a broader NATO trend toward standardization in the heavy-lift category, especially in the absence of European industry offerings. Belgium’s earlier STAR plan explicitly referenced the ambition to acquire a heavy transport helicopter certified for special operations, with wording closely matching Chinook specifications, though government officials stress no official decision has been made.
The Strategic Vision 2025 integrates the medium and heavy transport helicopter project within a broader modernization framework for the Belgian Armed Forces between 2026 and 2034. Alongside heavy lift, Belgium is acquiring H145M light utility helicopters, four new search and rescue helicopters to free NH90 NFHs for naval missions, and upgrades to its maritime NH90 fleet under the BENESAM partnership with the Netherlands. The strategy also calls for the integration of manned-unmanned teaming concepts, where light helicopters could operate in coordination with drones for reconnaissance, support, and tactical missions, extending their roles beyond conventional limits. Within this context, the future medium-heavy fleet is designed to provide strategic mobility, complement lighter types, restore lost NH90 capacity, and ensure Belgium can meet NATO expectations. While funding has been approved and a 2033 start date has been set for commitments, future governments will need to confirm and sustain the procurement timeline to ensure the plan’s execution.
