The Royal Netherlands Navy Takes Delivery Of Its First NH90 NFH

[buglerbilly]

Date: 21/04/2010

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce on behalf of NH Industries the delivery of the first NH90 NFH helicopter to the Royal Netherlands Navy during an official ceremony held today at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant in Italy. The Royal Netherlands Navy has ordered a total of 20 NH90 NFH aircraft. Today’s event marks the first delivery of a naval NH90 NFH variant to a customer.



The Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian and Belgian navies have ordered a total of 111 NH90 NFH naval helicopters which will give operators a dramatic improvement in operational capability and mission effectiveness, thanks to the outstanding technology incorporated in to the NH90. The NH90 NFH variant is primarily designed for autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) missions. The comprehensive mission equipment packages allow a wide range of additional missions to be performed including Search and Rescue (SAR), maritime patrol, vertical replenishment, troop transport, medical evacuation and amphibious support roles. The helicopter is designed for day and night operations in adverse weather conditions from the decks of ships. Due to its weight and dimensions, the deck-lock system, the deck traversing system and the automatic blade and tail folding system, it can operate from small frigates even in high sea states.



The NH90 is the most successful European helicopter programme ever. A total of 529 firm orders have been placed by 19 armed forces in 14 countries including The Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal , Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greece, Spain and Belgium in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Oman overseas and 44 NH90 helicopters are already in service today. The NH90, developed in the TTH utility transport and NFH naval versions, proves the ideal solution to meet requirements from many potential additional customers worldwide for a number of duties. The NH90 programme is managed by NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency) representing France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Portugal, and by the NH Industries industrial consortium comprising AgustaWestland (32%), Eurocopter (62.5%) and Fokker Aerostructures (5.5%). In the framework of the NH90 programme, AgustaWestland is responsible for the production of the main transmission, tail drive shafts, hydraulic system, automatic flight control system, rear ramp, rear fuselage, the T700/6E1 engine solution installation and on-board computers. Furthermore, AgustaWestland is also responsible for the overall integration of the NH90 naval mission system for all NFH variants.

[buglerbilly]

DATE:28/04/10

SOURCE:Flight International

NH Industries outlines delivery plan for naval NH90

By Luca Peruzzi

NH Industries has handed over the Netherlands' first NH90 naval frigate helicopter in the "meaningful operational capability" (MOC) configuration, and will soon also start deliveries to three more of its customers for the type.

"We will make the first delivery to the French navy within the next couple of weeks, followed by the Norwegian navy after the summer break and the Italian navy before year-end," says NHI managing director Domenico Vaccari.

Speaking at NHI partner company AgustaWestland's Vergiate site near Milan on 21 April, Vaccari confirmed that 24 helicopters will be delivered within the next two years in the MOC standard: seven each to France and the Netherlands; six to Norway and four to Italy.

The MOC configuration lacks some functionality from the NH90's full tactical navigation, weapons and embarked operating capabilities, which will be available in 2012. The interim standard will be used to support training activities, and to validate the aircraft's suitability for missions including search and rescue.

The Netherlands had been due to receive its first NH90 in 2007, but the project has been the subject of lengthy delays.

Defence Materiel Organisation NH90 programme manager Col Jan Verhulst says its seven MOC-standard aircraft will be followed by five full operational capability models. These will perform anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare tasks, and be followed by another eight aircraft configured for multirole duties.

Meanwhile, NHI expects to later this year agree with the NATO Helicopter Management Agency the final configuration for the NH90 tactical transport helicopter's full operational capability version.

Deliveries will start early next year, and follow 44 aircraft already handed over in the initial operating capability and IOC-plus standards.

AgustaWestland will from mid-year move its final assembly line for the NH90 from Vergiate to a formerly Aeronavali-controlled site near Venice Tessera airport.

Chief executive Giuseppe Orsi says the investment of up to €20 million ($26.3 million) will enable the company to increase its delivery rate from 13 aircraft to 20 a year. Its current order backlog is for 150 NH90s for Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal.

[buglerbilly]

DGA Accepts First NH90 for the French Navy

(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued April 29, 2010)

(Issued in French; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)


France has taken delivery of its first NFH naval helicopter, becoming the second country after the Netherlands to receive this naval variant of the NH90. (NHIndustries photo)

PARIS --- The Directorate-General of Armaments (DGA) on Friday, April 23, 2010 accepted the first NFH variant of the NH90 helicopter intended for the French Navy. It will shortly be handed over to the naval aviation command which will undertake operational test and evaluations, leading to its formal service introduction in late 2011.

DGA has ordered 27 NFHs, 27 in “support” version and 14 in “combat” version, which will all be delivered by 2021. The prime contractor is the NH Industries consortium (held by Eurocopter, 62.5%; AgustaWestland 32% and Stork Fokker 5.5%).

The NH90 program is a major European cooperative effort launched by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, and extended in 2001 to Portugal and 2006 to Belgium.

It has been successful on the export market, as 14 countries have ordered 529 aircraft, 111 of them in the naval NFH version which has been selected by the Belgian, Dutch, French, Italian and Norwegian navies.

The NH90 NFH helicopter weighs about 10 metric tonnes, and was developed to replace European fleets of anti-submarine and anti-ship helicopters. It can also carry out other missions, such as maritime rescue, Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR), naval counter-terrorism and anti-piracy, minelaying, medical evacuation, and troop and logistic transport.

Its weight, size, automatically folding rotor blades and tail boom allow it to be embarked on light and heavy frigates (La Fayette, Horizon, FREMM, etc.) and on helicopter carriers (BPC class).

The NH90 NFH is the best-performing helicopter of its category. It is the first production helicopter fitted with fly-by-wire controls, and thanks to its manoeuvrability and agility it can fly missions by day and night, and by very adverse weather conditions. Its ergonomically-advanced glass cockpit is fitted with large, multifunction flat panel displays, while its composite carbon fibre airframe makes it lighter and less visible to radar. Furthermore, the NH90 offers a high degree of safety and survivability.

The aircraft intended for the French forces are produced at Eurocopter’s facility in Marignane, southern France.

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[buglerbilly]

The French Navy Takes Delivery of Its First NH90 NFH

(Source: NH Industries; issued May 6, 2010)


The French Navy has taken delivery of its first NH90 NFH naval helicopter, seen here with its dipping sonar extended during its initial evaluation. (NHI photo)

NHIndustries is pleased to announce the delivery occurred on May 5th at Eurocopter’s Marignane plant in France of the first NH90 NFH helicopter to the French Navy. This event marks the first delivery of a NH90 helicopter to the French customer.

The French Forces have up to now ordered 61 NH90 aircraft among which 27 are the Naval NFH versions and 34 utility transport TTH versions, to be followed by a subsequent optional batch of 34 TTH aircraft.

The Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian and Belgian Navies have ordered a total of 111 NH90 NFH Naval helicopters which will give operators a dramatic improvement in operational capability and mission effectiveness, thanks to the outstanding technology incorporated in to the NH90.

The NH90 NFH variant is primarily designed for autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) missions. The comprehensive mission equipment packages allow a wide range of additional missions to be performed including Search and Rescue (SAR), maritime patrol, vertical replenishment, troop transport, medical evacuation and amphibious support roles.

The helicopter is designed for embarked operations to be performed by day and night in adverse weather conditions. Due to its weight and dimensions, the deck-lock system, the deck traversing system and the automatic blade and tail folding system, it can operate from small frigates even in high sea states.

The NH90 is the most successful European helicopter programme ever. A total of 529 firm orders have been placed by 19 armed forces in 14 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greece, Spain and Belgium in Europe, as well as Australia, Oman and New Zealand overseas and 46 NH90 helicopters are already in service today.

The NH90, developed in the TTH utility transport and NFH naval versions, proves the ideal solution to meet requirements from many potential additional customers worldwide for a large number of missions.

The NH90 programme is managed by NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency) representing France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Portugal, and by the NHIndustries industrial consortium comprising Eurocopter (62.5%), AgustaWestland (32%) and Fokker Aerostructures (5.5%).

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