The Spanish Army's BHELMA IV begins the renewal of its helicopter fleet

The Spansish Army Airmobile Force (FAMET) has taken another step this week toward renewing its helicopter fleet.

The Spanish Army completes its first maximum range flight with the NH90 helicopter
Spain buys 100 military helicopters from Airbus, including 50 H145Ms for the FAMET

On June 17, the Ministry of Defence announced the arrival of a new NH90 for FAMET—the first delivered under the National Helicopter Plan, announced in December 2025, which entails the purchase of 100 military helicopters of various models from Airbus: specifically 50 H145Ms (all for FAMET), 31 NH90s (13 for FAMET, 12 for the Air Force, and 6 for the Navy), 13 H135s (12 for the Air Force and 1 for the Navy), and 6 H175Ms (all intended to replace the Air Force's VIP helicopters).

The Army has announced that on Tuesday, September 22, the 4th Maneuver Helicopter Battalion (BHELMA IV) received its first NH90 helicopter—the one delivered by Airbus in June.

At the reception ceremony, the new helicopter was escorted by two AS-532 Cougar transport helicopters upon its arrival at the "El Copero" Military Base in Dos Hermanas (Seville), the home base of the aforementioned battalion.

"El Copero" Base was built in 1939. It initially belonged to the Air Force but was transferred to the Army on December 30, 1975, initially housing two helicopter units—UHEL II and UHEL IV—which were merged into the Southern Helicopter Group (AHEL SUR) with a fleet of 12 UH-1H Hueys and 3 OH-58A Kiowas; these were replaced between 1980 and 1981 by AB-212s and MBB Bö-105s. The unit was redesignated BHELMA IV in 1987 and received its first Cougars in 1998. In addition to housing BHELMA IV, "El Copero" is also the home base of the 74th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.

BHELMA IV currently operates 16 Cougar helicopters, which will be progressively replaced by the new NH90s and transferred to BHELMA VI, based at Los Rodeos (Tenerife).

Regarding the arrival of the first NH90 at BHELMA IV, the Army stated: "The NH-90 strengthens response, deployment, and support capabilities for ground units, establishing itself as a key element in the modernization of the Army's Airmobile Forces."

Furthermore, the Army has noted that BHELMA IV’s duties include infiltration and exfiltration missions for special operations units, tactical air transport, external load transport, medical evacuation, and parachute drops. On July 30, Airbus Helicopters announced the new NH90 Standard 2, a version specifically designed for special operations, noting that the 31 NH90s acquired by Spain under the National Helicopter Plan will feature a similar configuration.

Infodefensa has reported that BHELMA IV expects to receive 16 NH90s, with deliveries to be completed by 2028. In addition, the battalion will receive 6 H145M light helicopters, bringing its fleet to a total of 22 aircraft.

Meanwhile, Elpespunte.es has reported that BHELMA IV plans to carry out a major overhaul of its facilities, involving the demolition of the three existing hangars and the construction of a new, large-scale hangar to house the new helicopter fleet. A new workshop building is also planned. The base renovation will also include its apron and flight strips.

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Images: Ejército de Tierra / Ministerio de Defensa.