Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said on Monday that political resistance to US-made equipment is hindering the purchase of Chinook helicopters to strengthen the country’s firefighting capacity.
Criticism has grown over Belgium’s limited ability to tackle major fires, after the Netherlands sent Chinook helicopters to help with firefighting efforts. According to the minister’s office, only two types of helicopters with this level of load capacity are currently available on the market.
Francken (N-VA) said in a post on X on Monday that the purchase of such aircraft is already included in the Defence Strategic Vision, but that there is opposition to the plan. This, according to Francken, is partly driven by hostility towards American equipment.
"For some parties, including all the left-wing opposition parties that are now making such a noise, anything American is false and bad," he wrote.
Coalition partner Vooruit has expressed concern, saying Belgium should not become too dependent on supplies from the US.
Other helicopters on the way
In his social media post, Francken further denied that Belgium does not have suitable firefighting helicopters.
The minister explained that lighter Airbus H145M helicopters are being delivered to the country, which can also be used to fight forest fires. Belgium has ordered 20 of the aircraft, and one has been delivered each month since spring. "So we are rebuilding our fleet," he wrote.
However, the helicopters cannot yet be deployed because pilots are still undergoing training.
The minister said Belgium’s lack of water-bombing aircraft is mainly due to the limited number of places where water can be collected for firefighting operations.
