Bundeswehr orders 31 NH90 helicopters for shipborne operations

The Sea Tiger will represent the German configuration of the NH90 NFH helicopter and will be employed for the German Navy’s advanced shipborne operations from 2025. The helicopters will replace the elderly Sea Lynx Mk88A fleet, which entered into service in the ‘80s; it represents a further confirmation of the choice already made by the German Armed Forces to operate NH90 as onshore and offshore tactical troop and naval transport helicopter.

The Sea Tiger is, amongst others, equipped with a Naval Mission System, specifically developed for the most demanding maritime warfare scenarios, encompassing active dipping sonar, passive sonar buoys, weapons and the Leonardo electro-optical system with laser target designation capabilities.

Platform for operations in challenging maritime conditions

“The new sensors on board provide a substantial increase in the helicopter’s mission capabilities and clearly position the NH90 as one of the world’s most advanced ASuW/ASW platform for shipborne operations in challenging maritime conditions,” said Giorgio Gomma, General Manager of the NATO Helicopter Management Agency. “This latest configuration concentrates the excellence of the European industry and set the ground for the future naval NH90s. We are proud to be part of the evolution of the European Defence Forces.”

Moreover, the use of the same NH90 platform by the German Army and German Navy will enable extensive synergies in terms of support, logistics and training. To date, 100 naval NH90 helicopters have already been delivered to six nations and have completed over 70,000 flight hours in search and rescue, coastguard, antidrug, humanitarian, and military operations.

In July, the German Air Force signed a contract for the equipment of two new Airbus A321neoLR, to be operated by the Federal Ministry of Defence's Special Air Mission Wing.