NHV takeover raises security concerns over military helicopter maintenance

Belgium’s military intelligence service ADIV is investigating Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen (NHV) after news that the Ostend-based operator is set to be acquired by Irish GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), according to VRT NWS.

NHV operates 27 helicopters transporting crews to offshore wind farms and oil platforms in the North Sea — infrastructure considered critical to Belgium’s energy supply. The company also flies aircraft from the H145 family, the same type as the Airbus H145M recently ordered by the Belgian Ministry of Defence.

While GDHF is based in Dublin, it is owned by China’s GDAT. That indirect link has raised concerns in defence circles, particularly as NHV is bidding to maintain Belgium’s 20 new H145M helicopters — 15 for the armed forces and five for the federal police — under an Airbus contract.

Sources say the maintenance award is currently on hold pending security checks. Companies handling sensitive defence work must hold a Belgian security clearance, which NHV does not currently have. If the takeover proceeds as planned, NHV could be excluded from the military maintenance role.

In a statement, NHV said operational independence and management will remain unchanged and that it will continue to comply with Belgian defence regulations. Regulatory approval of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2026.