Italian Navy receives final NH90s

The last aircraft from an order of 56 NH90 helicopters for the Italian Navy was delivered on 29 September. The navy received the last aircraft at its Maristaeli Luni base, during an official ceremony attended by officials from the navy, as well as both Leonardo and NHIndustries.

Deliveries of the Italian Navy’s NH90 fleet began in 2011 – since then, it has logged over 35,000 flight hours in multiple operations types. The NH90 is produced by NHIndustries, an Airbus-led consortium in which Leonardo owns a 32 per cent share.

The fleet includes 46 rotorcraft fitted for anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare, as well as 10 optimized for tactical transport duties and special operations.

The completion of deliveries also coincides with the opening of a new Level D full flight simulator in MR1 configuration by Leonardo for use by the navy. The new simulator will allow SH-90 and MH-90 crews to conduct regular training in a safe environment.

“The completion of the NH90 deliveries and the handover of this one-of-a-kind simulation environment marks a major step forward, which further reinforces our long-established partnership with the Italian Navy,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters.  

The Italian Army received the final deliveries for its own fleet of 60 NH90s in November 2022.