NHIndustries delivers first NH90 Standard 3 helicopter to Spanish Armed Forces

By Defence Industry Europe

On 29 October, Airbus, a member of the NHIndustries consortium, announced the delivery of the first NH90 multirole helicopter in the new Standard 3, also known as Final Operational Capability (FOC), configuration to Spain. This marks an important milestone in Spain’s NH90 programme, enhancing the capabilities of the nation’s armed forces.

 

Under the second tranche of the NH90TTH programme, NHIndustries is set to deliver a total of 23 helicopters to Spain. The agreement for this batch, valued at €1.4 billion, was finalised in December 2018. Out of these 23 helicopters, 16 are expected to be in the FOC standard – 12 will be allocated to the Army Aviation, while six will support the Air Force’s search and rescue (SAR) squadrons.

 

 

The NH90TTH Standard 3 features significant upgrades, including an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system operating in Mode 5, an advanced self-defence system, and enhanced radios offering improved cryptographic protection. Additionally, software modifications to the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system have been implemented to optimise engine performance. Spanish media reports suggest there is an option to retrofit previously delivered helicopters to this updated standard.

 

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Spain’s military aims to maintain a fleet of 45 NH90TTH multirole helicopters to be used across its three branches of the armed forces. There is also speculation that procurement could continue, with ongoing discussions regarding the naval aviation’s interest in acquiring a small batch of NH90NFH helicopters. These would potentially replace some of the currently operated SH-60B Seahawks, although Madrid has already ordered eight new MH-60R helicopters through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

 

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