In October 2020, the General Directorate of Armaments [DGA] announced that the development contracts for the “special forces” version [FS] of the NH-90 TTH helicopter had been notified to NHIndustries, Thales and Safran, via NAHEMA [Nato HElicopter Management Agency]. At the time, there was talk of acquiring ten examples to equip the 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment [RHFS] of the Army’s Light Aviation [ALAT].
Since then, this ambition has been revised upwards within the framework of the Military Programming Law. [LPM] 2024-30. Thus, last December, eight NH-90 FS [ou Standard 2] additional were ordered by the DGA, again via NAHEMA. This will make it possible to transfer the Caracal helicopters of the 4th RHFS to the 1/67 Pyrenees Squadron, which is also part of the Air & Space Force units. [AAE] made available to Special Operations Command [COS].
In any case, four and a half years after the notification of the development contracts, this program has just reached a new stage. Member of the NHIndustries consortium with Leonardo and Fokker, Airbus Helicopters announced on June 18 that the flight test campaign for the NH-90 prototype upgraded to the “Special Forces” standard had just begun. This will continue “until the end” of this year, in accordance with the “agreed schedule” with the DGA, said the industrialist.
According to the technical specifications which were delivered by the Ministry of the Armed Forces in October 2020, the NH-90 “Special Forces” will notably be equipped with the new generation Euroflir 410 optronic ball, the “Eurofl’Eye” system, which is based on a 3D panoramic multispectral sensor for piloting assistance associated with the TopOwl binocular helmet. Finally, the hold will be modified to allow air-rope operations with self-protection through the side doors.
In its press release, Airbus Helicopters indicated that a third crew member would take place on board the NH-90 FS, which, in addition to the Euroflir 410, will be equipped with a “new digital map generator” as well as “ mechanical and electrical arrangements dedicated to the distributed opening system [DAS] and a helmet-mounted digital sight display [HMSD-DD] of new generation with a view to further future integration”. And added: “These systems will improve the capabilities of special forces to operate in very demanding conditions.”
By the end of this decade, ALAT will implement 81 NH-90 TTHs. The 63 examples currently in service have completed 50,000 flight hours in total.
Photo: Airbus Helicopters
