Qatari Air Force receives delivery of first NH90 helicopter

The Qatar Emiri Air Force (QeAF) received delivery of its first NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) on 11 December from manufacturer NHIndustries.

The aircraft was displayed publicly during Qatar’s National Day celebrations on 18 December, alongside an NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter planned for delivery in the coming months, which was made available by Leonardo for the event.

The delivery is part of an order worth over €3 billion for 28 NH90 medium twin-engine multirole military helicopters placed by the Qatari government with NHIndustries in March 2018, for which manufacturer Leonardo is the prime contractor.

The contract covers the provision of 16 NH90 TTHs for land-based operations, as well as 12 NH90 NFHs for naval missions, alongside the provision of associated infrastructure, maintenance and training services.

Deliveries for the initial order are expected to continue until 2025, however the contract can be extended through options for a further six units of each type.

NHIndustries is a joint venture of Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures. Under Qatari contract, Leonardo is responsible for the final assembly and delivery of the NFH aircraft at its Venice – Tessera facility in Italy. Meanwhile, Airbus is responsible for the final assembly and delivery of the TTH aircraft, at its site in Marignane, France.