NHIndustries and the NATO Helicopter Design and Development Production and Logistics Management Agency (NAHEMA) have signed an agreement for the purchase of three more NATO frigate helicopters (NFHs) for the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force.
The NFH is one of the two variants of the NH90 programme, which is developed by NHIndustries partnership involving Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters, and Fokker Aerostructures.
The new helicopters for the Netherlands will be delivered with the latest Block-1 features, also referred to as Software Release 3 (SWR3), NHIndustries said in a LinkedIn post.
They will also incorporate several advanced technologies, including Data Link 22 for improved connectivity, next-generation electro-optical systems, a new integrated sonar system known as “Sonics,” and other weaponry.
Assembly of the three additional NFH helicopters will take place at Leonardo’s facility in Italy.
NHIndustries president Axel Aloccio said: “The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force has consistently demonstrated its trust in the NH90 programme, starting from the original landmark investment to develop the platform, which secured 20 NFHs naval helicopters, up to the recently renewed commitment.”
NH90 helicopters are developed to fulfil NATO’s need for a modern, medium-sized multi-role military helicopter suitable for both land and maritime operations.
The NFH helicopters will be deployed to detect and counter threats efficiently while sharing encrypted tactical information in real time with allied forces, supporting interoperability in joint missions.
The other variant, the tactical transport helicopter (TTH), is designed for missions including casualty and medical evacuation and combat search and rescue.
By the end of 2023, more than 500 NH90 helicopters had been delivered to 18 customers across 14 countries, accumulating more than 400,000 flight hours, according to figures from Airbus.
The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force was the first operator to introduce the naval variant of NH90 helicopters.
The Netherlands Deputy JEC colonel Dominique Troquete said: “The Netherlands has been part of the NH90 program from the very beginning, as a founding nation in 1999. We received the first NH90 in 2010 and we were the first nation to operationally use the NH90 in 2013 for counter piracy operations in Somalia. Since then the NH90 has proven to be a weapon system with unrivalled operational capabilities and has become an indispensable asset of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. This contract is yet another new chapter to our long-standing cooperation in the NH90.”
In September 2024, the Netherlands revealed plans to increase its defence budget to an estimated €24bn ($28bn) by 2025.
