Flight test campaign underway for French Army’s Special Forces NH90
Airbus Helicopters has commenced the flight test campaign of its prototype NH90 Standard 2 specification helicopter, one of the latest NH90 configurations which is being developed specifically for French Army…
June 18, 2024
Airbus Helicopters has commenced the flight test campaign of its prototype NH90 Standard 2 specification helicopter, one of the latest NH90 configurations which is being developed specifically for French Army Aviation.
The prototype’s flight test campaign will validate the design of the new configuration, which includes the integration of the Safran Eurofir 410 electro-optical system, a new digital map generator, provision for a third crewmember and new enlarged rear sliding windows. Testing is set to continue until the end of the year in accordance with a schedule agreed with the French Armament General Directorate.
A programme to develop and upgrade ten NJ90 TTHs was first launched in 2020 by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA), NHIndustries and its partner companies (Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker). In 2023, NAHEMA awarded a contract to NHIndustries (on behalf of the French Ministry of Armed Forces) for the production of an additional eight NH90 TTHs in the Standard 2 configuration.
The French Ministry for Armed Forces has ordered a total of 18 NH90s in the Standard 2 configuration, joining the 63 NH90 TTHs delivered so far (a number set to rise to 81 by the end of the decade).
The NH90 Standard 2 prototype has also been equipped with additional provisions relating to the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and a new Helmet-Mounted Sight Digital Display, with both features – described by Airbus as “[improving] the special forces’ capabilities to operate in highly demanding conditions” – to be integrated at a later date.
