France proceeds alone with enhanced NH90
Full-scale mock-up of the NH90 TFRA Standard 2 helicopter at SOFINS 2021. (Photo: Jean-Marc Tanguy)
SOF variant of NH90 offers a number of improvements but France must still convince other operators to adopt it.
Only the French Army has decided to acquire a highly capable version of the NH90 helicopter for its special forces, as decided by defence minister Florence Parly in November 2020 during a meeting devoted to the programme.
French SOF will operate 10 NH90 TTH troop transport helicopters from 2025 with new digital technologies, under a production contract from the NATO Helicopter Management Agency.
The deal with NHIndustries and its partner companies (Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker) is worth an undisclosed sum.
The 10 NH90 TTHs had previously been ordered by French procurement agency DGA but they will now be produced
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