French Army receives last NH90 Caiman TTH

With the gradual withdrawal of the Puma, the NH90 now constitutes the main fleet of maneuver and assault helicopters of the French armed forces, alongside the renovated Cougar and the Caracal, with 63 aircraft in service within the Army and 27 within the Navy.

The NH90 performs tactical transport missions for troops (up to 20 soldiers) and equipment (up to 2.5 tonnes), as well as medical evacuations.

In addition to the general Caiman for the Army, 18 units (10 in 2020 and eight in 2023) of a variant of the NH90 TTH was ordered for the Army’s special forces, with deliveries staggered from 2026 to 2029.

The NH90 is an 11-ton twin-engine helicopter developed in European cooperation between France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It comes in two versions: the TTH for ground force support missions and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) for anti-ship, anti-submarine and maritime rescue missions.

This aircraft has gradually replaced the Puma helicopters of the Army Light Aviation (ALAT). It has combat equipment, armor and countermeasures systems. The NH90 is equipped with rappelling devices as well as air intakes for operations in desert environments. It is also able to carry loads under a sling.

Led for France by the DGA, the NH90 program relies on the executive agency NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) for the overall management of the program. The NATO Helicopter Industries (NHI) consortium is composed of the Airbus Helicopters group and the manufacturers AgustaWestland (now Leonardo) and Fokker. The NH90s intended for the French forces are assembled on the Airbus Helicopters France site in Marignane.

New Zealand has recently opted to upgrade its fleet of NH90 craft.