On Friday, the Council of Ministers approved the purchase of twenty helicopters: fifteen for the army and five for the federal police. The operation is conducted through NATO’s central purchasing office. The first devices are expected to be delivered as early as 2026.
The STAR plan of Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder (PS) already referred to the purchase of fifteen so-called light utility helicopters. These will replace the current Agusta and NH90 aircraft. As a result, the Ministry of Defense must have a high-performance tactical air transport capacity for Special Operations and an airmobile medical evacuation capacity in the coming years.
But in addition, five additional helicopters will be purchased to replace the helicopter fleet of the federal police. The fact that Defense and the federal police have the same aircraft should strengthen cooperation in the field of technical support, training and the execution of certain assignments.
The air support – both local police zones and other services of the Federal Police – helps about 1,500 times a year in, among other things, tracking down and pursuing suspects, making aerial shots and searching for missing persons, says Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V).
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