The Ministry of Defence is purchasing three additional NH90 maritime attack helicopters. The contract was signed on December 9th. The contract includes an option for two more aircraft. The military expects the new NH90s to arrive in 2030.
With this purchase, the Ministry of Defence is pursuing the ambition laid out in the 2024 Defence Memorandum, which addresses the growing demand for NH90 capacity.
The aircraft are used for anti-submarine operations and support of amphibious operations.
All new helicopters will be immediately equipped with the latest upgrades. The current NH90 fleet will be brought up to the same level with a Midlife Update. This will take place during the same period as the new helicopters.
Indispensable weapon system
Since their first deployment in 2013 during the anti-piracy mission in Somalia, the helicopters have proven themselves as an indispensable weapon system.
By purchasing the additional aircraft, the Ministry of Defence demonstrates its confidence in the aircraft and the supplier.
International cooperation
On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (Nahema) signed the contract with the supplier NATO Helicopter Industries. This took place at the company’s headquarters in Aix-en-Provence. Nahema is an agency that includes the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Italy. The agency is authorized to conclude contracts on behalf of all four countries.
By participating in this international equipment cooperation program, the four countries share development and maintenance costs. This leads to economies of scale and efficiency. The parties also have a stronger position with the industry.
The Materiel and IT Command (Commit) is responsible for the purchase of the additional helicopters.
Once the new aircraft have been incorporated into the defense inventory, the Ministry of Defence will have 22 NH90s in the maritime configuration.