Search and rescue

Along the Belgian coast, our NH90 helicopters are on standby around the clock to save lives, both at sea and on land.

For more than fifty years, the personnel of the 40th Squadron in Koksijde have remained constantly ready for search and rescue (SAR) missions. They do this in close cooperation with the Coast Guard, local rescue services, and hospitals.

NH90 helicopters are primarily active along the Belgian coast, but they also operate across Belgian territory, and occasionally over France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Each SAR mission is carried out by a five-person crew: a pilot, a co-pilot, a cabin operator, a diver, and a medic (emergency nurse) equipped with advanced medical tools for complex interventions.

The men and women of the 40th Squadron carry out between 100 and 150 rescue missions each year. When every second counts, they make the difference.

From rescuing people in distress in the North Sea to conducting medical evacuations during air disasters or national emergencies, from transporting severely burned patients to urgent organ transports—our SAR helicopters provide rapid, safe, and efficient aid in hard-to-reach or life-threatening situations.

Thanks to their expertise and close cooperation with other emergency services, they significantly reduce rescue time—and save lives.