The Spanish air force has taken delivery of its first NH Industries (NHI) NH90 tactical transport helicopter (TTH), launching its introduction of the type’s latest Standard 3 configuration.
Handed over at NHI consortium member Airbus Helicopters’ Albacete site, the rotorcraft is the first of 23 NH90s currently on order for Madrid’s armed forces. Its air force and army will take six and 10 Standard 3 examples, respectively, while the navy will receive seven aircraft for maritime operations.
Accepted by the Spanish military’s Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM), the lead Standard 3 aircraft boasts updates including “advanced communications with enhanced encryption capabilities, greater operational safety features and a number of system optimisations”, Airbus Helicopters says.
Deliveries under Madrid’s second orders batch for the NH90 – earlier examples of the TTH were already operational with its air force (6) and army (15) – will run until 2028. Its already operational Standard 2 aircraft will be modified to also bring them to the latest configuration.
Meanwhile, the Spanish navy’s first NH90 “is already in Albacete awaiting its final delivery to the DGAM in the coming weeks”, the airframer says. Locally designated the MSPT variant, the platform “is in the process of finalising its type certificate from the Spanish Airworthiness Authority”, it adds.
Airbus Helicopters says the MSPT fleet “will significantly increase the Spanish navy’s strategic projection capabilities”. The 11t-class rotorcraft features a strengthened landing gear, automatic main rotor blade folding and folding rear fuselage, for storage aboard ship.
Personnel from the navy’s 14 Sqn “have already started their training at the Albacete plant to begin operations with their first NH90”, the company adds.
Fernando Lombo, managing director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain, notes that the new deliveries and modernisation work “will create a standardised modern fleet across all three armed forces”, and deliver “a world-class operational capability”.
Also involving Leonardo Helicopters of Italy and GKN Fokker of the Netherlands, the NHI consortium has to date delivered 523 NH90s to 13 customer nations.
