Agusta A109

Agusta A109BA Hirundo

Twin-engine antitank and utility helicopter

On December 8th 1988 the Belgian Government decided to acquire 46 Agusta A109BA (Belgian Army) Hirundo helicopters. These aircraft replaced a number of Alouette II light helicopters in the armed reconnaissance role (HRecce, with machine guns) and observation role (HO). The Agusta's were also used for anti-tank missions, equipped with Helitow anti-tank missiles (HA), tactical support missions equipped with rocket launchers (HLR), as Medevac helicopter (Medical Evacuation) (HMed) and transport helicopter (HTpt). Since early 2003 all Hirundos were brought up to the same multirole standard and were operated by the 17th and 18th Squadrons MRH (Multi-role helicopter). As a consequence of the reorganisations of the Belgian Defence all Agusta's were transferred to the Air Component from the Army Component while a number of the Hirundo's have been withdrawn from use and stored at Zutendaal airbase pending their sale. The remaining operational Agusta's are based at Beauvechain airbase as part of the Wing Heli.

C/N

0301

H-01

History

Date In

Jan 1992

Date Out

Oct 2011

H-1 (OT-ARA), sold to "MAD Africa Distribution" sprl

C/N

0302

H-02

History

Date In

Feb 1992

Date Out

Oct 2011

H-02 (OT-ARB) (Medevac), sold to "MAD Africa Distribution" sprl

C/N

0303

H-03

History

Date In

Mar 1992

Date Out

Jan 2004

H-03 (OT-ARC), stored at Zutendaal, Bierset fire-fighting training

C/N

0304

H-04

History

Date In

Apr 1992

Date Out

2007

H-04 (OT-ARD) , to Benin Air Force as TY-32H

C/N

0305

H-05

History

Date In

May 1992

Date Out

2011

H-05 (OT-ARE) (Medevac), sold to "MAD Africa Distribution" sprl

C/N

0306

H-06

History

Date In

Jun 1992

Date Out

2008

H-06 (OT-ARF), crashed at Halleux (La Roche-en-Ardenne) on 27 Jun 2008 due to tail rotor problems.

C/N

0307

H-07

History

Date In

Aug 1992

Date Out

Aug 2011

H-07 (OT-ARG)(Medevac), sold to "MAD Africa Distribution", Rotor France Ind. Toussus-le-Noble (F.), Hayward & Green, Horn Lane, Woodmancote (U.K.)

C/N

0308

H-08

History

Date In

Aug 1992

Date Out

Jan 2004

H-08 (OT-ARH), stored Zutendaal, on display at the Royal Army Museum, Brussels.

C/N

0309

H-09

History

Date In

Sep 1992

Date Out

Apr 2004

H-09 (OT-ARI) stored at Zutendaal, Van Vliet Trucks, Nieuwerkerk a/d Ijssel (Nl.), Rotor France Ind. Toussus-le-Noble (F.), offered for sale by by Euro Est Services at Haguenau-Wissembourg

C/N

0310

H-10

History

Date In

Oct 1992

Date Out

2005

H-10 (OT-ARJ), stored at Zutendaal, Van Vliet Trucks, Nieuwerkerk a/d Ijssel (Nl.), stored Kassel-Calden aiport (D.)

C/N

0311

H-11

History

Date In

Nov 1992

Date Out

Dec 2005

H-11 (OT-ARK), stored Zutendaal, sold to Van Vliet Trucks (Nl.), stored Kassel (D.), registered UR-BAAA, operated in Ukraine by Yavson Company.

C/N

0312

H-12

History

Date In

Dec 1992

Date Out

Apr 2004

H-12 (OT-ARL), stored at Zutendaal, sold to Van Vliet Trucks, Nieuwerkerk a/d Ijssel, (Nl.), noted stored as Kassel-Calden airport (D.)

C/N

0313

H-13

History

Date In

Dec 1992

Date Out

Apr 2004

H-13 (OT-ARM), stored Zutendaal, sold to Van Vliet Trucks (Nl.), stored Kassel (D.), registered UR-CAAA, operated in Ukraine by Yavson Company.

C/N

0314

H-14

History

Date In

Dec 1992

Date Out

Apr 2004

Apr 2004 H-14 (OT-ARN), stored at Zutendaal, Instructional airframe Royal Technical School Saffraanberg

C/N

0315

H-15

History

Date In

Jan 1993

Date Out

Jun 2004

H-15 (OT-ARO), stored at Zutendaal, sold to Van Vliet Trucks (Nl.), stored Kassel (D), noted at FD Nutzfahrzeuge at Heldengut, Germany (Jan 2024)

C/N

0316

H-16

History

Date In

Feb 1993

Date Out

Jun 2003

H-16 (OT-ARP) 29 Jun 2003 damaged beyond repair at Petrovec (Macedonia), stored Zutendaal, exhibited Bierset

C/N

0317

H-17

History

Date In

Feb 1993

Date Out

Dec 2005

H-17 (OT-ARQ), stored at Zutendaal, sold to Benin AF as spare parts resource.

C/N

0318

H-18

History

Date In

Mar 1993

Date Out

2005

H-18 (OT-ARR), stored Zutendaal, sold to Van Vliet Trucks (Nl.), stored Kassel (D.), registered UR-YAAA, operated in Ukraine by Yavson Company.

C/N

0319

H-19

History

Date In

Apr 1993

Date Out

May 2000

H-19, 23 May 2000 crash at Bertrix, fuselage to Royal Technical School at Saffraanberg as instructional airframe.

C/N

0320

H-20

History

Date In

Apr 1993

Date Out

Sep 2016

H-20 (OT-ATB), Cocooned Beauvechain

C/N

0321

H-21

History

Date In

Apr 1993

Date Out

Active

H-21 (OT-ATC), noted cocooned at Bierset airbase, returned to service

C/N

0322

H-22

History

Date In

May 1993

Date Out

Sep 2020

H-22 (OT-ATD), Oostende (VLOC)

C/N

0323

H-23

History

Date In

May 1993

Date Out

Jan 2015

H-23 (OT-ATE), stored at Zutendaal, gate guardian at Beauvechain airbase.

C/N

0324

H-24

History

Date In

May 1993

Date Out

Active

H-24 (OT-ATF)

C/N

0325

H-25

History

Date In

May 1993

Date Out

Sep 2016

H-25 (OT-ATG), Cocooned Beauvechain

C/N

0326

H-26

History

Date In

Jun 1993

Date Out

Active

H-26, (OT-ATH)

C/N

0327

H-27

History

Date In

Jun 1993

Date Out

Active

H-27 (OT-ATI)

C/N

0328

H-28

History

Date In

Jun 1993

Date Out

Active

H-28 (OT-ATJ)

C/N

0329

H-29

History

Date In

Jul 1993

Date Out

Active

H-29 (OT-ATK)

C/N

0330

History

Date In

Dec 1993

Date Out

H-42 (OT-AKJ)n, to Zutendaal for preservation, Dec 2019 transferred to Sabca Gosselies.

C/N

0343

H-43

History

Date In

Dec 1993

Date Out

Mar 2003

H-43 (OT-AKK), Transferred to Benin as TY-34H

C/N

0344

H-44

History

Date In

Dec 1993

Date Out

Active

H-44 (OT-AKL), Mar 2023 first noted at Saffraanberg Royal Military School.

C/N

0345

H-45

History

Date In

Jan 1994

Date Out

Active

H-45 (OT-AKM)

C/N

0300

H-46

History

Date In

Feb 1994

Date Out

Active

H-46 (OT-AKN)