NHIndustries NH90 NFH ASW Helicopter Royal Norwegian Navy

Royal Norwegian Navy / Coast Guard
NHIndustries NH90 NFH

nh90 nfh asw helicopter royal norwegian navy coast guard air force kystvakt 02x

07/23

Aircraft (8+6):

Serials + markings:
013 / 027 / 049 / 057 / 058 / 087 / 171 / 217 / 352 / 1216 +??

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 January 2017, the NH90 has logged 127,000 flight hours in the armed forces of thirteen nations.

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.

In 2001, Norway ordered 14 NH90 helicopters for use by the Royal Norwegian Navy and Norwegian Coast Guard, to be delivered in 2005-2008. In December 2011, the first helicopter was delivered. In July 2012, the Norwegian Deputy Defence Minister Roger Ingebrigtsen announced that "once our current Westland Lynx helicopters reach their end of life in 2014, we are going to have replacement helicopters on our naval vessels. If the NH90 hasn’t been delivered, we will purchase another helicopter ... considering that the aircraft were to be delivered by 2005, and that delivery is yet to start by 2012, our confidence in the producer isn't exactly on the rise" In August 2012 it was reported that the Royal Norwegian Air Force would be recommending that the Ministry of Defence contact Sikorsky to verify whether versions of the H-60 Seahawk, specifically the MH-60R, would be a viable alternative to the NH-90 in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role. Defence Minister Espen Barth Eide stated "We still believe the marine version of the NH90 to be the optimal platform, and we hope to purchase it, but there are limits to our patience." In January 2016, six of the 14 aircraft had been delivered.

A February 2018 report by the Norwegian Armed Forces found that its fleet of NH90 helicopters offer insufficient flight hours for the intended roles. The report advised that all helicopters are converted to the anti-submarine warfare role as required by the Royal Norwegian Navy, as opposed to current plans which see 6 of the 14 helicopters in that role, and the rest configured for Norwegian Coast Guard duties. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence stated that it would consider the report's recommendations before making a decision on the matter.

In September 2018, the Norwegian Armed Forces reversed course and released an updated study that affirms that under "certain conditions" the requirements for both the navy and coast guard can be met with the current order of 14 helicopters. The conditions specifically state good spare parts availability, sufficient aircraft for maintenance scheduling and a sufficient overhaul capacity. Norwegian Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen added that although the inauguration is challenging, the ministry holds on to the timeline in which phasing in will be completed by 2022. In February 2022 the Norwegian Minister of Defense again threatened to terminate the NH90 contract due to great concerns regarding new delays and NHI not meeting contractual obligations, considering sourcing alternative helicopters.

In June 2022, the Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram announced the Norwegian Defence Material Agency was given the task to terminate the NH90 contract due to NHI not meeting contractual obligations, and announced that the NH90 is taken out of operation with immediate effect.

Norway has chosen the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to replace the NH90's.

The aircraft are operated by:
334 Squadron at Bardufoss Air Station and Haakonsvern Naval Base (Navy / Sjoforsvaret)
337 Squadron at Bardufoss Air Station (Coast Guard / Kystvakt)

NOTE:
The Norwegian Coast Guard (Kystvakten) is a maritime military force which is part of the Royal Norwegian Navy.
All aircraft in Norwegian military service are/were operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force!

source: wikipedia

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)

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