The Bundeswehr has taken delivery of the last of a total of 18 new NH90 NTH (Naval Transport Helicopter) Sea Lion multi-purpose helicopters. This means that the series delivery to the German Navy commissioned by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) in 2015 has been completed on time and on budget.
“I am very pleased that with the delivery of the last Sea Lion, the basis has now been created to successively exploit the great potential of this new weapon system,” says Axel Hoffmann, project manager at BAAINBw, on the occasion of the successful completion of the delivery. The commander of the naval aviation command, Captain Broder Nielsen, adds: “Today we are completing another major step in the modernization of naval aviation. Now that all the helicopters are here, it’s a matter of speeding up training and developing the most modern, flexible maintenance concept possible with the aircraft delivered to us in order to quickly achieve full operational readiness.”
The helicopter is mainly used by the navy for search and rescue missions (SAR) and for transporting personnel and equipment. The Sea Lion can carry up to 20 people. It is equipped with a rescue winch and special medical equipment for SAR flights. If the helicopter enters a risk zone, it can be armed with heavy machine guns. The Sea Lion has additional reconnaissance capabilities thanks to its built-in sensors, such as a 360-degree maritime surveillance radar and infrared cameras. With the handover of the last NH90 NTH and the subsequent takeover of SAR tasks planned from mid-2023, the Mk41 Sea King, which has been in use for almost 50 years, will gradually be retired. This will also enable the Navy to fulfill its SAR mission with state-of-the-art fly-by-wire helicopters in the future.
