NH Industries (NHI) partner companies Airbus and Leonardo have launched formal studies related to a future Block 2 enhancement of the NH90 military helicopter, aiming to present operators with a menu of options by end-2027.
Building on initial customer engagement that ended last year, the mid-life upgrade project is designed to keep the heavy-twin in service until at least the 2050s.
Axel Aloccio, NHI president and head of the NH90 programme for Airbus Helicopters, says the 18 months of customer discussions were designed to define their priorities and “what the upgrade could look like”.
“Building on this first foundation we want to go to the next step and study on our side in a little bit more engineering and financial detail what this means.”
To be financed by NATO helicopter procurement body NAHEMA – a contract is anticipated by year-end – the architecture study will report back in two years with more details on costs and timeframes.
Additionally, it will present an “implementation plan” – detailing whether the enhancement can be delivered through new-build helicopters, a retrofit of the existing fleet, or a remanufacturing process.
“We will provide key inputs for the nations on whether they want to proceed with Block 2,” says Aloccio.
Operator feedback stressed a desire to “capitalise on the current airframe” but adding “a little bit more range” and “simplified maintenance” alongside a “simplified avionics architecture” to enable faster future upgrades.
Aloccio says to address the requirement to increase range beyond the current 530nm (982km) maximum, “it’s up to us to see if we need a bigger engine or go on a diet”.
NHI has already held discussions with propulsion suppliers GE Aerospace and Safran Helicopter Engines on the development roadmaps for their respective CT7 and RTM332 turboshafts but will also consider a new powerplant.
But cost considerations will remain paramount. “Block 2 is not an open bar, it’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet,” he says. “We are telling this to our customers: in order to make Block 2 successful it has to remain affordable and manageable.
“If Block 2 has the same price tag as launching a new programme it doesn’t make sense to do an upgrade.”
Three sub-variants of the NH90 are on display at Paris: a French army TTH battlefield transport, a new Standard 2 development helicopter for French special forces, and the first Sea Tiger anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter destined for the German navy.
Test flights of the latter wrapped up last October, having accumulated around 150h, and NHI is now working through the required paperwork to achieve qualification by the end of the summer, leading to delivery immediately after.
Up to three of the NFH-based Sea Tigers will be handed over to the Deutsche Marine this year, with another five on the production line. Germany in 2020 ordered a total of 31 units to replace its fleet of elderly Westland Sea Lynx.
Testing of the TTH Standard 2 has also finished, with NHI aiming to deliver the first of 18 helicopters to France in mid-2026.
Meanwhile, talks continue with several repeat or new customers for the NH90. Of these. Spain is the most advanced, having signed in May a co-operation agreement with Airbus Helicopters on the renewal of its fleet.
Aloccio says Madrid is seeking 31 examples: 25 troop transport-roled TTHs for the army and six in the so-called Maritime Spanish Tactical Transport configuration – a TTH adapted for naval operations with a folding main rotor and tail boom.
Spain could also emerge as the launch customer for Safran’s infrared-based Eurofl’Eye distributed aperture system that France is considering adding to the Standard 2 pre-provisioned helicopters in a second step.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands also seems likely to contract for another five NFHs later this year, while the ASW helicopter is also being pitched to New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.
“This version is really attracting a lot of attention because there’s a genuine admission that this aircraft provides the best capability in the world for this type of mission,” says Aloccio.
NHI is a three-way consortium comprising Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters and GKN-Fokker.
