The Airbus NH90’s new lease on life

With more than 530 aircraft in service and 500,000 flight hours recorded worldwide, the NH90 is firmly established in the military landscape. The focus has now shifted toward preparing for the future, with the launch of several projects designed to keep the aircraft at the highest standard. 

The NH90 was a highly ambitious and forward-thinking programme, both in its technical choices and its collaborative industrial framework. “Over the years, we have devoted a great deal of effort to development, qualification, the industrial ramp-up, and then resolving maturity issues,” explains Axel Aloccio, NH90 Programme Director for Airbus Helicopters.

Enhancing NH90 operational support and availability 

“With the industrial system and technical configurations now mature, our work today is focused more on supporting helicopters in service to provide our customers with more flight hours and better availability.” Aloccio cites various areas for improvement, while also noting an increased awareness among most customers. Numerous services are offered under the Through Life Support (TLS) contract, which nearly all nations operating the NH90 have joined through the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA). A new type of support contract, the NH90 Operational Support (NOS) contract, has also emerged. Currently including France, Germany, and Belgium among its customers, it offers completely integrated management of the entire logistics flow, strong commitments on parts availability, and a full range of additional services that can be activated on demand by these countries. Significant efforts have been dedicated to increasing the production and repair capacity for the most critical parts. The results are evident: in just a few years, the volume of delivered critical parts has doubled. For the past 18 months, the NH90 support system has also benefited from a new service: standard exchange. This allows NH90 customers to receive new or refurbished parts within extremely short timeframes by performing an immediate exchange with NH Industries. “This represents a major shift in mindset and demonstrates the commitment of NH Industries and the NH90 nations to work on innovative solutions to improve the programme’s logistical performance,” emphasises Axel Aloccio.

The NH90 Block 1 upgrade 

In the medium term, the goal is to evolve the aircraft in both its tactical transport helicopter (TTH) and NATO frigate helicopter (NFH) variants, with a ‘Block 1’ featuring software upgrades and new capabilities in connectivity, interoperability, data transmission and electronic warfare. Development is already underway; the expected upgrades will be qualified starting in 2028, and discussions are ongoing with NAHEMA to finalise contracts by the end of the year for retrofit activities covering more than 200 NH90s. “We are also working with NAHEMA on finalising the extension of the aircraft’s service life, which will increase from 30 to 50 years,” adds Axel Aloccio. Consequently, the aircraft recently ordered by Spain, to be delivered after 2030, will remain active until the 2080s. This very long-term vision could also apply to aircraft for future customers in Asia, the Middle East, or NATO countries. 

Looking ahead 

The long-term focus is the NH90 ‘Block 2.’ “We have just signed an architecture study contract with NAHEMA, which aims to offer our customers different scenarios and options for long-term improvements,” reveals Aloccio. This study will focus on: defining a new modular avionics suite to better integrate new technologies; defining a new maintenance plan for improved fleet availability and reduced operating costs; and introducing new mission capabilities, particularly regarding connectivity and collaboration with drones, in line with the needs of the 2040+ battlefield. All of this is intended to ensure the aircraft reaches the 2080s in peak condition.