European chopper troubles

[Skybird]

Norway cancels the order for the NH-90 military helicopter. The country no longer believes the helicopter will ever meet requirements and is demanding half a billion euros back. The model is also causing major problems for the German armed forces.

20 years after ordering NH-90 military helicopters, Norway's military is bursting at the seams over delays and defects. They are canceling the order, returning the helicopters delivered so far and demanding the equivalent of almost half a billion euros in repayment.

The Norwegian military gives the helicopter and its manufacturer a damning report card. The military has regrettably come to the conclusion that the helicopters "will never be able to meet the requirements of the Norwegian Armed Forces" - no matter how many man-hours the technicians put in, how many more parts are ordered or how much money is invested. The contract with the manufacturer consortium NHI (Nato Helicopter Industries) will therefore be completely cancelled and flights will cease, he said.

For the NHI manufacturer alliance with Airbus at the head with 62.5 percent share as well as Leonardo (Italy) with 32 percent share and Fokker (Netherlands) it is a further low blow and image damage. In December 2021, Australia had already announced its intention to dispense with the model in the future because operating costs were too high and availability too low. The model's performance was a "constant problem," it said.

Australia wants to buy the U.S. Black Hawk model instead. Other user nations have also complained about shortcomings in the military helicopter, which is almost 20 meters long and weighs about ten tons. The Netherlands, for example, reported corrosion problems on its models. Belgium is also reportedly looking to dispense with the model.

Whether Norway's particularly abrupt exit from the NH-90 program will ultimately end up in court is still open. In an initial statement, the NHI consortium expresses disappointment with the decision from Oslo and then rejects the accusations. "NH Industries considers this dismissal to be legally unfounded."

Thirteen of fourteen helicopters have been delivered and the fourteenth is ready for acceptance, according to industry sources. But Norway's military argues otherwise. It criticizes the fact that, according to the order signed in 2001, a total of 14 helicopters for the coast guard and anti-submarine warfare were to be delivered by 2008. But to date, only eight models are available in fully operational condition.

The helicopter is also one of the problem models for the Bundeswehr. According to an overview of the large aircraft presented at the end of 2021, only 19 percent of the Bundeswehr's NH-90 NTH Sea Lion variant is operational.

The military industry blog augengeradeaus.net reports that recently the Navy refused to take delivery of the 15th newly delivered aircraft because not only did the radar show faults, but above all the smell of fuel in the cabin indicated possible leaks. In order to eliminate supply bottlenecks for the Bundeswehr with the model and reduce long maintenance times, a special service contract was even signed with the industry in May.

The German armed forces use the helicopter in two variants in the army and navy: as a transport helicopter and as a NATO frigate helicopter also for search and rescue missions. At the upcoming Berlin Air Show ILA (June 22-26), the Bundeswehr plans to present an NH-90 model.

Industry experts see one reason for the NH-90 debacle in the great complexity for the helicopter's diverse fields of operation. The industrial structures with the ramified manufacturer consortium would also not contribute to a quick problem solution.

Following the announced end of the European NH-90 helicopter, Norway is now looking for an alternative model. This could come from the USA.


(Die Welt)

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)


Revently it also became known that the planned super-ultra-modern wonderfighter FCAS, mostly planned to do by France and Germany (Dassault and Airbus), will be delayed by a full decade at least, and is expected not before 2050. If it ever gets produced at all in this team mwork constellation. It would not be the first time France and Germany go south in their planned teamworking on a fighter. France ejected form the development of the Eurofighter, too.



Less supercomplex idealistic ambitions, dear Europeans. More reality-tested pragmatism. But in the way they do things currently and since decades, it will never become something living what they plan for defence initiatives and military independence of Europe. They way such projects are realised in Europe is way too complex and time-consuming - and cost-driving.