Norway to upgrade Bell 412 fleet

The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (Forsvarsmateriell) has announced plans to upgrade the country’s Bell 412 helicopter fleet.

The work is intended to ensure that the aircraft – the first of which were delivered in the late 1980s – can continue to be used into the future.

The Norwegian Armed Forces currently operate a fleet of 18 Bell 412s, stationed at Rygge and Bardufoss Air Stations. They are primarily used for troop transport, and to support emergency response missions.

The upgrades will be carried out by Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS), and will be conducted in two phases. The modifications were designed and certified by Forsvarsmateriell, KAMS, and their subcontractor Patria.

The first phase will involve the implementation of civilian communication and navigation solutions, while the second phase will see the military communication solutions upgraded.

Work will be carried out during regular maintenance

The first two helicopters to be upgraded under the first phase are expected to be delivered before the summer of 2025. Subsequent upgrades to aircraft will be made during scheduled maintenance periods, to ensure operational availability.

“The government has planned a significant strengthening of helicopter capacity in the long-term plan,” said Bjørn Arild Gram, Minister of Defense. “By upgrading Bell 412, we are now ensuring helicopter readiness until the new helicopters are in place, so that the Armed Forces will have better operational capacity during the transition period.”

Major General Øivind Gunnerud, Chief of the Air Force, added: “It is positive that Bell 412 is being upgraded so that the Air Force has a helicopter that can be on standby and solve other missions we are assigned to. Bell 412 is an older helicopter system that must be upgraded to be relevant until new helicopter systems have been acquired.”

Norway is also due to receive a fleet of six MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for maritime missions.