NHIndustries NH90

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The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 was developed and is manufactured by NHIndustries, a collaborative company, which is owned by Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland and Fokker Aerostructures. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1995; the type began to enter operational service with some customers in 2007. As of 2016, a total of seventeen nations have placed orders for the NH90.

The NH90 has the distinction of being the first production helicopter to feature entirely fly by wire flight controls. There are two main variants, the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for army use and the navalized NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH); each customer typically has various alterations and customizations made to their own NH90 fleets, such as different weapons, sensors and cabin arrangements, to meet their own specific requirements. In early service, the NH90 has suffered several teething issues, which has in turn delayed active deployment of the type by some operators.

The NH90 has several designations depending on the country:

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  • Australia
    • Australian Army x 42 - 6 more on order
    • Royal Australian Navy x 12
  • Belgium
    • Belgian Air Component x 16
  • Canada
    • Canadian Coast Guard
    • Royal Canadian Air Force x 56
    • Royal Canadian Navy x 60
  • Egypt
    • Egyptian Navy x 6
  • Finland
    • Finnish Army x 20
  • France
    • French Army x 34
    • French Navy x 28
  • Germany
    • Germany Army x 122
    • Bundesmarine x 18 + 32 (18 x NH90 Sea Lion SAR/Transport helicopters and 32 x NH90 Sea Tiger ASW helicopters)
  • Greece
    • Hellenic Army x 36
  • Italy
    • Italian Army x 60
    • Marina Militare x 50
  • Netherlands
    • Royal Netherlands Army x 12
    • Royal Netherlands Navy x 20
  • New Zealand
    • Royal New Zealand Air Force x 10
  • Norway
    • Royal Norwegian Air Force x 14
  • Oman
    • Royal Air Force of Oman x 20
  • Portugal
    • Portuguese Army x 12
  • Qatar
    • Qatar Emiri Air Force x 28
    • Qatar Emiri Navy x 12
  • Saudi Arabia
    • Royal Saudi Air Force x 64
  • Spain
    • Spanish Army x 46
    • Spanish Navy x 7
  • Sweden
    • Swedish Defence Forces Helicopter Wing x 28 (18 TTH and 10 NFH)

See Also[edit | edit source]