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
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Canadian observer status reinforces GCAP’s strength in emerging ‘middle power’ bloc]()
Canadian observer status reinforces GCAP’s strength in emerging ‘middle power’ bloc
The significant setback seen by FCAS earlier this year has secured GCAP’s position as Europe’s future sixth-generation fighter, while Canada’s potential observer status could push the programme into the next stage.
-
![UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation]()
UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation
Despite the UK having the third-largest military UAV market in Europe, the country appears to be underinvesting in the capability relative to the size of its economy, particularly when compared with Baltic and eastern European states.
-
![US Air Force to add new capabilities to its in-service and future T-7A fleet]()
US Air Force to add new capabilities to its in-service and future T-7A fleet
As the T-7A programme recovers from delays and rising costs, the USAF is signalling new opportunities in anti-jamming GPS, collision avoidance, advanced flight controls and pilot interface improvements.
-
![“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare]()
“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare
In Conversation… Armor Harris, Senior Vice President for Aircraft at Shield AI, talks to Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan about why cost-effective autonomous aircraft are a game-changer for air forces worldwide, and the key roles played by VTOL and AI as enabling technologies.
