NHI NH90
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Description
Role: medium transport/utility helicopter
Crew: 1/2 pilots + 20 troops or 12 stretchers or 1/2 tacco/senso operators
Dimensions
Length: 19.56 m (rotors turning)
Fuselage length: 16.13 m
Height: 5.23 m
Rotor diameter: 16.30 m
Weights
Empty: 5,400 kg
Maximum internal fuel: 2,036 kg
Maximum take-off: 10,600 kg
Powerplant
Engines: 2 x MTU/Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca MTR322 or General Electric T700-T6E turboshafts
Power: 2 x 2,230 shp (1,660 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 300 km/h
Combat range (internal fuel):
Ferry range (external fuel):
Service ceiling:
Maximum rate of climb: 480 m/min
Armament
Gun: none
Missiles: anti-submarine and/or anti-surface missiles (NFH version)

The NHI NH90 is a twin-engine, ten ton multi-role helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries, a company established by Agusta, Eurocopter and Stork Fokker Aerospace.

The NH90 is designed to operate by night and day and in adverse weather conditions and can be flown by a single pilot.

Contents

1 History 2 Versions 2.1 NFH: NATO Frigate Helicopter 2.2 TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter 3 Users 4 See also 5 External links

History

On 1 September 1992, NH Industries signed a NH90 design and development contract with NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency). This agency represents the four nations participating in this programme: France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Portugal joined the agency on 21 June 2001.

Design of the helicopter started in 1993, with the first prototype, the PT1, making its first flight on 18 December 1995.

The second prototype, the PT2, first flew on 19 March 1997 and the third prototype, the PT3, on 27 November 1998.

On 30 June 2000 an industrialisation and first batch contract for 298 NH90s was signed between NAHEMA and NHI.

In 2001, three additional customers signed purchase orders for the NH90:

• Sweden for 25 helicopters.
• Finland for 20 helicopters.
• Norway for 24 helicopters.

On 29 August 2003 Greece signed a purchase order for 34 NH90s with another 14 in option.

Deliveries are due to start in 2004 for the first German Army and Italian Army TTH versions and also for the Finnish Defence Forces NFH version.

From 2005, the Italian and French Navies will start to receive their NFH versions and the first Swedish and Norwegian NH90s will also be delivered.

Versions

NFH: NATO Frigate Helicopter

The primary role of the NFH version is autonomous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface unit warfare (ASuW) missions, mainly operating from naval ships. For these roles, the NH90 is equipped for day and night, adverse weather and severe ship motion operations.

Additional roles include anti-air warfare support, vertical replenishment (vertrep), search & rescue (SAR) and troop transport.

TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter

The primary role of the TTH version is the transport of 20 troops or more than 2,500 kg of cargo, heliborne operations and search & rescue.

Additional roles include medical evacuation (12 stretchers), special operations, electronic warfare, airborne command post, parachuting, VIP transport and flight training.

Users

The current NH90 order book is as follows:

• French Navy: 27 NFH
• Italian Army: 60 TTH
• Italian Navy: 46 NFH
• Italian Navy: 10 TTH
• Italian Air Force: 1 TTH (in option)
• German Army: 50 TTH + 30 TTH (in option)
• German Air Force: 30 TTH + 24 TTH (in option)
• Dutch Navy: 20 NFH
• Portuguese Army: 10 TTH
• Sweden: 13 NFH (SAR), 5 NFH (ASW) + 7 (in option)
• Finland: 20 NFH (SAR)
• Norway: 6 NFH (ASW), 8 NFH (Coast Guard) + 10 NFH (SAR) (in option)
• Greece: 16 TTH, 4 TTH (Special Operations) + 14 TTH (in option)

See also

• European defence procurement

External links

• NH90.net Non-official Website http://www.nh90.net/
• NH Industries Official Website http://www.nhindustries.com/

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