Chris Jasper/MARIGNANE
As NH Industries nears the signing of key NH90 contracts with the four partner nations, the group is looking at markets for the twin-engined helicopter.
Industrialisation and production agreements will be signed at next month's Berlin air show by ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. They will sign a memorandum of understanding and then conclude contracts between the NATO management agency representing the four governments and NHI - consisting of Agusta, Eurocopter and Fokker - for 298 helicopters.
The total contains 54 helicopters, which Germany wanted as options, but converted to firm orders to guarantee the price, say industry sources.
NHI commercial manager Alain Gauthier says the consortium is eyeing competitions in Greece, Portugal, Spain and the UK as well as the four-nation Nordic Standard Helicopter Programme, which would require 75 NH90s.
The TTH version would fulfil part of the UK's Support Amphibious Battlefield Rotorcraft requirement to replace GKN Westland Lynx, Puma and Sea King transports. If NHI succeeds, the UK, and GKN Westland, would rejoin the programme which it left in 1987. NHI is also talking to clients in the Middle East, including the Royal Air Force of Oman, and Asia.
• Eurocopter's tiltrotor joint project with Agusta may receive European Commission research funds in June. The EC could contribute half of the £100m, the rest coming from the two companies and other partners. Eurocopter president and chief executive Patrick Gavin believes the joint approach will win EC approval. He says the pair will undertake core research together, but will develop two approaches to the helicopter to aircraft conversion.
Source: Flight International
