NHIndustries NH90

The UK RAF is in the same position with the retirement of Puma, nothing intermediate between H145 and Chinook. And then nothing else until A400...

Joint purchase of AW-189 or H175 would seem to make sense but will never happen.
 
The investigation also assessed whether the TopOwl 5.10 helmet, criticised in test reports for its inverted pitch and roll displays when pilots turn their heads, contributed to the crash.

The helmet was described by Army test pilots as a “substantial risk of multiple deaths”, but the DFSB found it was “very unlikely” to have caused the disorientation in this instance.

“While both AATES and Standards Section test and evaluation reports agreed that there were deficiencies relating to attitude presentation, the two agencies disagreed on the severity of the hazard,” the report said.
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Interesting quote. Both attitude levels were indeed marked with abrupt manual reversal in directions.
 
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Scott Kenny said:
A lightly-loaded H47 is one of the fastest helicopters out there, they've been clocked breaking 200mph.
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CH-47 will remain one of the fastest operational helicopters with a combat cruise speed of 150 knots. The 200 mph (174 knots) is doable but not practical due to weight restrictions (power available), and fuel burn rate (range).
 
How are they doing on Time Before Overhaul intervals and other sources of maintenance headaches?

I believe NHI had promised to extend TBO to 1,800 hours for all dynamic components... haven't heard if that has been realized. (And is that good enough compared to other helos? ... e.g. I believe Sikorsky has achieved 4,000 hours TBO for the S-70 Blackhawk's main gearbox, and 6,000 hours TBO for the S-92 gearbox)
 
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Hopefully the Standard 2 Special Forces NH90 will have sufficient power for the extra weight and drag associated with special operations helicopters.
 
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It´s obviously launched from the Cabin.

Screenshot 2025-10-16 124659.png

And not in racks like most proposals we see out there. It´s also a curious vertical, gravity assisted, release configuration that forces the pilot to launch from a certain height.
 
TomcatViP said:
It´s obviously launched from the Cabin.

View attachment 788286

And not in racks like most proposals we see out there. It´s also a curious vertical, gravity assisted, release configuration that forces the pilot to launch from a certain height.
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Flying at altitude can be hazardous to your health if done near the line of contact. Let's hope this plan calls for the launch to be done tens of kilometers from the danger zone.
 
Norway asked for 2.8 Billion € IRC.

https://www.nhindustries.com/settlement-concerning-the-norwegian-nh90-program/
The settlement provides that NHIndustries (NHI) will take back all helicopters along with associated spare parts, tools, and mission-specific equipment from the Norwegian Government. NHI will assume full control over the recovered assets and reintegrate them within the NH90 program, making in-demand parts and equipment available to other users of the NH90. NHI will pay the Norwegian Government an agreed cash amount of EUR 305 Millions, in addition to amounts previously paid pursuant to bank guarantees amounting to approx. EUR 70 Millions. This solution reflects the parties’ mutual agreement to bring all related disputes to a conclusive end.
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Titus K said:
Spain has ordered an additional 32x NH90 helicopters for its three armed forces branches, increasing the total fleet from 45 to 77 units.
This is the 3rd NH90 order in spain, the previous ones were for 22 and 23 aircrafts
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A number (at least 6) of those 32 NH90's could be MSPT variants with french "Standard 2" improvements ... these include the Euroflir 410 and possibly the Eurofl'Eye system
https://www.safran-group.com/products-services/eurofleyetmThe 7 older MSPTs (not sure about that number) could potentially be upgraded to the Standard 2 later on.

Also there are talk about a 4th tranche for spain.
These would be ASW/ASuW variants (based on French&German NFH) to replace the old MH60's
https://www.flightglobal.com/helico...ariant-for-next-batch-of-nh90s/165643.article
 
TomcatViP said:
It´s obviously launched from the Cabin.

View attachment 788286

And not in racks like most proposals we see out there. It´s also a curious vertical, gravity assisted, release configuration that forces the pilot to launch from a certain height.
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I wonder if it wasn't just a very basic proof of concept, done in a way that required little or no aircraft modification just to establish that they could launch and then take control of the effector from the helicopter. A more polished application might use a pneumatic ejector out the side door or something.
 
TomS said:
I wonder if it wasn't just a very basic proof of concept, done in a way that required little or no aircraft modification just to establish that they could launch and then take control of the effector from the helicopter. A more polished application might use a pneumatic ejector out the side door or something.
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Pneumatic is the most logical solution. However care must be taken not to create to much of an overpressure inside the aircraft cabin such that the aircrew gets concussed.
 
its been a decade since i first saw Belgian NH90 albeit their TTH version at ROyal Naval Air Station Yeovilton Air Day 2015 so my photos below

belgian_nh90_yeovilton.jpg

belgian_nh90_yeovilton_1.jpg

Then back in September at the Battle of Britain Air Show at Imperial War Museum Duxford airfield, after a decade I saw this time Belgian NH90 albeit the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) version performing a flying demo. The Belgians are keeping the NFH variant but getting rid of the TTH (please see above)

Anyhow below are my photos of Belgian NFH at Duxford.

belgian_nh90_nfh_1.jpg belgian_nh90_nfh_2.jpg belgian_nh90_nfh_3.jpg belgian_nh90_nfh_4.jpg


cheers
 
Hopefully having got past the logistics pain, as well as designing out what was causing some of that, NHIndustries ought to have a competitive helicopter. Although, like V-22 the negative press will drag at it still.
 
It´s not a fair comparison. US Services want their V-22. NH-90 military users have voiced against it on numerous occasions, including some of the nation holding one of the manufacturer.
 
TomcatViP said:
It´s not a fair comparison. US Services want their V-22. NH-90 military users have voiced against it on numerous occasions, including some of the nation holding one of the manufacturer.
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Well... I did say "hopefully" ;)
 
02/2023 1000 flight hours
https://helicopters.leonardo.com/en/news-and-stories-detail/-/detail/leonardo-nh90-qatar-first-yearCurrently, the fleet counts nine helicopters in-service, four TTH and five NFH.
These first NH90s, out of a total of 28 units on order in a mix of 16 TTH for land operations and 12 NFH for naval missions, logged more than 700 flight hours in 2022, with nearly 200 flight hours of which in the last two months of the year supported major events in Qatar.
In 2022 the fleet showed an average serviceability above 80%, with a focus on collaboration between the operator and industry on the overall support and maintenance activities.


03/2024 2500 flight hours :
https://www.leonardo.com/en/press-r...500-flight-hours-of-the-nh90-helicopter-fleetOn the occasion of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) 2024, the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) and Leonardo celebrated the 2,500 flight hours of the NH90 helicopter fleet. This milestone has been made possible through strategic cooperation, which has been aided by Leonardo’s direct involvement in providing training and supporting maintenance operations.
With an average serviceability above 80%, the Qatar Emiri Air Force is one of the NH90 end users that operates both the TTH (Tactical Troop Transport) and the NFH (Naval Frigate Helicopter) versions of the helicopter for land and naval operations. The aircraft’s main missions include troop transport and utility, search and rescue, and surveillance.

And this week :
https://www.janes.com/osint-insight...tar-completes-receipt-of-nh90-tth-helicopters
 
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Safran's Eurofl'Eye distributed panoramic vision system, selected by NATO Helicopter Management Agency for the NH90:

Eurofl'Eye est un système de vision innovant, qui permet aux pilotes des hélicoptères NH90 d'avoir une vue panoramique et détaillée de leur environnement, même dans les conditions de vol les plus dégradées (nuit, poussière, brouillard). Le dispositif utilise six caméras infrarouges qui transmettent des images en temps réel directement projetées dans les visières des cases de pilotage. Ce système sera d'abord développé sur les hélicoptères NH90 TTH français et espagnols.
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Eurofl'Eye is an innovative vision system that provides NH90 helicopter pilots with a panoramic and detailed view of their surroundings, even in the most challenging flight conditions (night, dust, fog). The system uses six infrared cameras that transmit real-time images directly onto the cockpit visors. This system will initially be developed for use on French and Spanish NH90 TTH helicopters.
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https://bourse.fortuneo.fr/actualit...on-panoramique-dedie-aux-helicopteres-1027238
 
TomcatViP said:
Safran's Eurofl'Eye distributed panoramic vision system, selected by NATO Helicopter Management Agency for the NH90:
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This is what it looks like mounted just above the Euroflir Airborne electro-optical system
image.png
https://www.forcesoperations.com/la...dent-pour-co-developper-le-systeme-eurofleye/
Combined with the Euroflir 410 optronic turret, the six infrared cameras of the Eurofl’Eye system will make it possible to project a multispectral, 3D view of the helicopter’s immediate environment onto the visor of Thales’ TopOwl DD helmet. The system will provide a 200° field of vision shared by the pilot and co-pilot, enhancing situational awareness—particularly when flying at night, in heavy fog, or in dusty conditions.
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What is really exciting with this sort of technology is that each crewmember will have independent views of the synthetic environment unlike earlier systems where only one aircrew member could direct the view of the sensor.
 
Titus K said:
Also there are talk about a 4th tranche for spain.
These would be ASW/ASuW variants (based on French&German NFH) to replace the old MH60's
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Tranche 4 could be up to 32 HSPT (NFH variants)... for a total fleet of up to 108 NH90.
That would make Spain the 3rd biggest operator with France (108) and behind Italy (116) and Germany (131)
We'll see in couple of years.
https://twitter.com/x/status/2001638290261266536
View: https://x.com/GarethJennings3/status/2001638290261266536
 
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Some details around the new DAS system Eurofl’Eye:
Selon les détails techniques fournis par la DGA, le système d’ouverture distribuée [DAS] Eurofl’Eye est un ensemble de six caméras à infrarouge de très haute résolution, offrant une « très large couverture angulaire » [240° en gisement] et pouvant être utilisé simultanément par tous les membres de l’équipage du NH90.

« L’Eurofl’Eye permet à l’ensemble des membres de l’équipage [pilote et copilote], d’obtenir de manière indépendante, une image infrarouge 3D et stéréoscopique de l’environnement extérieur », complète Safran.
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According to technical details provided by the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments), the Eurofl’Eye Distributed Aperture System (DAS) is a set of six very high-resolution infrared cameras, offering a very wide angular coverage (240° azimuth) and usable simultaneously by all NH90 crew members.

eurofleye-20251229.jpg


“Eurofl’Eye allows all crew members (pilot and co-pilot) to independently obtain a 3D and stereoscopic infrared image of the external environment,” Safran adds.
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https://www.opex360.com/2025/12/29/...e-eurofleye-destine-au-nh90-forces-speciales/
 

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