Order campaigns Helicopter Meet the NH90 | ShortsCars Army

The NH90 is a versatile, multi-role military helicopter developed by NHIndustries, a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, and Fokker. Designed for both tactical transport (TTH) and naval operations (NFH), the NH90 excels in missions such as troop transport, search and rescue (SAR), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). Equipped with fly-by-wire controls, composite airframe, and advanced avionics, it offers exceptional maneuverability, survivability, and mission adaptability. In this video, we dive into the specifications, capabilities, and global use of the NH90 across modern military forces.

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The NH90 has been considered by a number of helicopter procurements, however some did not lead to helicopter delivery.

Portugal
Portugal was the fifth nation to join the programme with an order for ten transport NH90 in June 2001; it was intended for these to equip the Portuguese Army Light Aviation Unit. However, in July 2012, fiscal consequences of the Great Recession led Portugal to cancel the order, despite having already spent €87m on the project, in order to save another €420m in acquisition and running costs to 2020.

Saudi Arabia
In July 2006, the Saudi Government agreed to purchase 64 NH90s. In October 2007, the government changed its plans, and agreed to buy 150 Russian-made Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters instead.

Egypt
In July 2015, the Egyptian Navy entered negotiations for the purchase of 5 NH90 NFHs; these were intended to serve on board its newly acquired FREMM frigate Tahya Misr and 4 Gowind corvettes that were also on order. These NH90s would all be of French standard. In October 2015, it was reported that negotiations for a "large quantity" of NH90s had reached an advanced stage. In April 2019, it was announced that Egypt was ordering the AW149 and not the NH90.

South Korea
South Korea approved a nearly 2.87 trillion won (US$2.23 billion) to procure naval helicopters to replace its aging Lynx helicopters, and the NH90 is planned to be one of the candidates.

Vietnam
It was revealed that Vietnam has signed an undisclosed memorandum with Airbus regarding the NH90 during Emmanuel Macron's 2025 state visit to the country.

Accidents
From 2008 there have been reports at least 11 accidents involving NH90 of various types.

Examples
In April 2010, an Australian MRH-90 suffered a single engine failure near Adelaide, landing safely at RAAF Base Edinburgh Australia grounded their MRH-90 fleet due to engine issues. The cause of the failure was determined to be contact between the compressor blade and the engine casing; new preventative inspections were enacted and flights resumed in July 2010. One factor stated for the engine failure was complications relating to an inflight engine restart.

In March 2023, an Australian MRH-90 with ten aboard experienced an engine failure and ditched in Jervis Bay with everyone surviving. The helicopter's flotation system was deployed, allowing it to float, and it was towed onto a nearby beach.

In July 2023, an Australian MRH-90 crashed at night during Exercise Talisman Sabre off the coast of Hamilton Island, Queensland, with the loss of its four crew. Parts of the airframe and human remains were found in a debris field in 40 metres of water, consistent with a catastrophic impact. The cause was under investigation as of late 2023.

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COMMENTS

- The NH90's were a complete disaster for the Australian armed forces,barely 65 % fleet readiness at any given time,parts acquisition difficulties and under performance issues.
- Australia had a really bad experience with both of these helicopters,and are retiring and replacing them.
- Australia just announced they would be replacing their entire fleet (due to the amount of breakdowns and design flaws) with black hawk helicopters saving 2 billion $

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