The Dutch armed forces is expanding its maritime helicopter fleet: the Ministry of Defense has officially signed the purchase of three additional NH90 naval combat helicopters. The contract with manufacturer NHIndustries – a joint venture between
The new helicopters will primarily be used for submarine hunting operations, maritime surveillance and support for amphibious forces.
State-of-the-art configuration ex works – midlife upgrade for the entire fleet
All newly ordered NH90s will be delivered immediately in the latest configuration. At the same time, the existing Dutch NH90 fleet will also receive the same level of modernization as part of a midlife update program. Both measures are running simultaneously to ensure a uniform capability profile.
Since their first deployment in 2013 as part of the EU anti-piracy mission off Somalia, the NH90s have proven to be an indispensable maritime asset for the Dutch armed forces – both on frigates and in independent operations.
ESSI: Dänemark bestellt weitere Iris-T-SLM-Feuereinheiten von Diehl Defence
European cooperation strengthens position vis-à-vis industry
The contract was signed by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) on behalf of the four partner nations of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy. It took place at the headquarters of NATO Helicopter Industries in Aix-en-Provence, France – the consortium responsible for the NH90 program.
Joint procurement within this European cooperation framework means that development, modernization and operating costs are shared, resulting in economies of scale, greater efficiency and a stronger negotiating position vis-à-vis the industry.
The Dutch Commando Materieel & IT (COMMIT) is responsible for the actual procurement. With the addition of the new helicopters, the Dutch Navy will have a total of 22 NH90s in a maritime configuration.
Here for more news about the Dutch armed forces.
