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NHI’s NH90: Europe’s multirole helicopter strives to maintain relevance (updated 2026)

27th April 2026 - 11:34 GMT | by Lucy Powell in London, UK

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The NH90 NFH Sea Tiger for the German Navy was first delivered in December 2025. (Photo: Airbus)

Developed in response to NATO’s needs, NHIndustries’ NH90 remains a cornerstone of European and Middle Eastern fleets – with upgrades planned to extend and improve the capabilities of the versatile and capable platform.

The NH90 is a multirole helicopter, first conceived and designed as part of a multinational effort between France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to meet NATO requirements. The company, NHIndustries (NHI), brings together Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and GKN – the trilateral venture responsible for the NH90’s design, production and support.

The helicopter operates as one of two variants: the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) for maritime and utility operations and the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for land-based utility and troop lift operations.

As noted on Shephard Defence Insightthe common helicopter NH90 design is a twin-engine design with four-bladed main

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Lucy Powell

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Lucy Powell


Lucy Powell is Shephard’s Air Reporter. An award-winning journalist with over four years in …

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