[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The first serial production NH90 for the Royal Netherlands Navy
performed its maiden flight on 10 August at AgustaWestland's
Vergiate facility in Italy. AgustaWestland is responsible for the
overall integration of the NH90 naval mission system for all NH90 naval
variants (NFH: NATO Frigate Helicopter).
The NH90 NFH variant is primarily designed for autonomous
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) missions.
The intrinsic characteristics and comprehensive mission equipment
packages allow an unequalled range of additional operations: Search and
Rescue (SAR), maritime patrol, vertical replenishment, troop transport,
medical services and "Utility" roles.
The helicopter is designed for day & night/adverse
weather/severe ship motion environment operations. Due to its weight and
dimensions, the deck-lock system, the deck traversing system and the
automatic blade and tail folding system, it can operate from/to small
frigates.
The Royal Netherlands Navy has ordered a total of 20 NH90-NFHs.
Final Assembly of the Dutch helicopters is underway at AgustaWestland s
Vergiate facility which is responsible also for the assembly of the NFH
variant for the Italian and Norwegian Navies as well as for the assembly
of the TTH variant for the Italian Army.
In other news, the Swedish Defence Agency (FMV) has taken delivery
of the first NH90 helicopter assembled in Finland. It is the second NH90
to be delivered to Sweden but the first one assembled by Patria in
Halli, Finland. FMV took delivery of its first NH90 during Le Bourget
2007. Sweden signed a contract for 25 NH90s in September 2001, covering
18 firm orders of variants for the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH),
which include 13 Tactical Troop Transport (TTT)/Search and Rescue (SAR)
helicopters and five Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), plus seven options.
These helicopters are equipped with a complete new Tactical Mission
System (TMS) developed by SAAB in cooperation with NHIndustries. Of the
18 NH90s, 14 are to be assembled in Finland.
Sweden is the launch customer for the High Cabin Version (HCV) of
the NH90 which features an extra 24cm in usable cabin height (1.82m, vs
1.58m in the standard version). This variant allows operators and
passengers to stand upright in the cabin. The second helicopter to be
delivered will be the first NH90 to be operated in Sweden by the Swedish
Defence Forces initially for training purpose, while the one delivered
during Le Bourget 2007 will support the Swedish instructors'
training programme in France until 2008.
Patria is responsible for assembling most of the Nordic NH90s
ordered by Sweden and Finland under an industrial cooperation agreement
called Nordic Standard Helicopter Program (NSHP). The Finnish assembly
line was the fourth operational line to assemble the NH90, after the
ones set up in France, Germany and Italy. A fifth assembly line, based
in Australia, started producing the Australian NH90, designated MRH90,
in May 2007.
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NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.