Simulator crisis derails NH90 training, as second Chinook crashes in Afghanistan
The Royal Netherlands Navy is to extend operations of its Westland Lynx helicopters by up to two years to cover the late availability of a training system for its NH Industries NH90s, says defence secretary Cees van der Knaap.
The Netherlands’ first three of 12 naval NH90s are now in production for delivery in 2007, but the failure of a NATO Helicopter Management Organisation effort to select a simulator system provider for the aircraft means Dutch pilots will face a delay in the delivery of training services until at least 2009.
Announcing the slippage last month as part of its annual assessment of the NH90 project, the Dutch defence ministry said it was now looking into the possibility of ordering its own training system. The Netherlands will also acquire eight NH90 tactical transports for its air force under a 20-aircraft programme worth about 990 million ($1.1 billion).
Software development for the naval variant’s mission system is also running late, with industry now working to bridge an estimated 18-month delay in qualification testing by allocating the programme’s first production aircraft to support activities involving its five prototypes, which recently passed 2,600 flight hours during anti-icing trials.
Launch NH90 customer Germany will receive its first aircraft before year-end, but will be forced to fly the type under operating restrictions until software qualification has been completed. However, NH Industries says all aircraft delivered from 2007 will be fully mission ready.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force lost its second Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter in Afghanistan within three months on 31 October. The Dutch defence ministry has launched an investigation into the cause of the emergency landing, which occurred at an altitude of 13,100ft (4,000m) near Bagram airbase, injuring three people. It also hopes to identify which parts of the heavily damaged aircraft can be salvaged for use as spares.
The helicopter was deployed to Afghanistan in early August to replace another Dutch Chinook which was destroyed in a crash the previous month. The Netherlands recently announced plans to buy five more CH-47s (Flight Inter-national, 27 September-3 October).
ANNO GRAVEMAKER/ARNHEM
Source: Flight International
