NHIndustries NH90 NFH ASW Helicopter Royal Netherlands Navy

Royal Netherlands Navy / Koninklijke Marine
NHIndustries NH90 NFH

nhindustries nh90 nfh nato frigate helicopter nfh royal netherlands navy koninklijke marine 03x

12/24

Aircraft:

Serials / markings:

N-088 / N-102 / N-110 / N-164 / N-175 / N-195 / N-227 / N-228 / N-233 / N-234
N-258 / N-277 / N-316 / N-317 / N-318 / N-319 / N-324 / N-325 / N-326 / N-327
3 more units on order

The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 was developed and is manufactured by NHIndustries, a collaborative company, which is owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) and Fokker Aerostructures. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1995; the type first entered operational service in 2007. As of June 2022, the NH90 logged 327,053 flight hours in the armed forces of thirteen countries.

The NH90 has the distinction of being the first production helicopter to feature entirely fly by wire flight controls. There are two main variants, the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for army use and the navalised NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH); each customer typically has various alterations and customisations made to their own NH90 fleets, such as different weapons, sensors and cabin arrangements, to meet their own specific requirements. In early service, the NH90 has suffered several teething issues, which has in turn delayed active deployment of the type by some operators.

The Netherlands, one of the original supporters of the programme, ordered a total of 20 units including 12 NH90 NFH for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and 8 TNFH for the Marine Corps Air Lift Helicopter Squadron. In 2010, the Royal Netherlands Navy became the first customer to receive the NFH variant.

In 2009, concerns surfaced that design changes had made the helicopter too heavy to operate from Dutch frigates for which they were ordered. In June 2014, the Dutch government decided not to accept the last batch of 7 NH90s due to some 100 shortcomings found in relation to the design, manufacturing and material choice of the aircraft, in particular corrosion in the presence of salt water. In December 2014, NH90 deliveries restarted after the Dutch government came to an agreement with the manufacturer, under which modifications and necessary repairs against corrosion would be made at the manufacturer's cost; 75 of the 100 shortcomings were also reported as having been solved.

The aircraft were operated by Royal Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (Marineluchtvaartdienst) until 2008
> now integrated into Defence Helicopter Command (DHC)

General characteristics:

Crew: 2 pilots (and possible sensor operator on NFH)
Capacity: 20 seated troops; or 12 medevac stretchers; or 2 NATO pallets; or 4200 kg (9260 lb) external slung load
Length: 16.13 m (52 ft 11 in)
Rotor diameter: 16.30 m (53 ft 6 in)
Height: 5.23 m (17 ft 2 in)
Empty weight: 6400 kg (14100 lb)
Useful load: 4200 kg (9260 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 10600 kg (23370 lb)

Powerplant:
2 x Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01/9 turboshaft, 1662 kW (2230 shp)
or 2 x General Electric T700-T6E turboshaft, 1577 kW (2115 shp) each

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (162 knots, 186 mph)
Range: 800 km (497 mi) TTH / 1,000 km (621 mi) NFH
Service ceiling: 6000 m (20000 ft)
Rate of climb: 8 m/s (1574 ft/m)

Armament:
Guns: 2 x door gun
Missiles: anti-submarine and/or air to surface missiles (NFH version)
Torpedo: Mk.46

860 Naval Air Squadron

In British service:
860 Squadron was formed in June 1943 at RNAS Donibristle, Scotland, from personnel of the Royal Netherlands Navy, under the command of Luitenant J. van der Tooren. As a torpedo-bomber/reconnaissance squadron, flying the Fairey Swordfish, the squadron moved to Maydown, Northern Ireland, in November 1943. There it was divided into two flights of six aircraft to operate from the merchant aircraft carriers MV Acavus and MV Gadila, and then from Acavus and MV Macoma from June 1944. In June 1945 the squadron was re-equipped with the Fairey Barracuda, and in August it was assigned to the escort carrier HMS Nairana.

In May 1946 the squadron converted to the Fairey Firefly, and in September 1946 was handed over to Dutch control, becoming part of the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service.

In Dutch service:
Assigned to the former Nairana, now renamed HNLMS Karel Doorman (QH1), it took part in operations in Java during the Indonesian War of Independence. It operated the Hawker Sea Fury from 1950 until 1956, then the Hawker Sea Hawk from 1957, while based at Valkenburg Naval Air Base, and flying from the second HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81). Disbanded in 1964, it was reformed in October 1966 as an ASW/SAR helicopter squadron operating from Naval Air Station De Kooy and the Van Speijk-class frigates. Equipped with the Westland Wasp, then the Westland Lynx from 1978, in early 2008 it converted to the NHIndustries NH90, and in July that year became part of the joint military Defence Helicopter Command.

7 Naval Air Squadron

has no own aircraft and is a training, test and evaluation unit only.