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Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
08 July 2015
The final NH90 for Finland has been handed over, some five years later than scheduled. Source: Airbus Helicopter
Finland received into service the last of its 20 NHIndustries NH90 Tactical Troop Transport (TTH) helicopters on 9 July, Airbus Helicopters announced.
The helicopter was handed over to the Finnish Defence Forces during a ceremony at Patria's domestic production facility at Halli, marking the end of a delivery process that was begun in March 2008.
Finland signed its contract for the 20 NH90 TTH helicopters in 2001 at a cost of EUR370 million (USD408 million), as a part of a common acquisition programme with Sweden and Norway to replace its ageing fleet of Mil Mi-8 'Hip' transport helicopters.
The first helicopter for Finland made its maiden flight at Airbus Helicopters' (then Eurocopter) facility at Marignane, France, in 2004. Deliveries were due to be complete in 2010, but were set back by programmatic delays.
An infographic showing the NH90's performance specifications. (IHS)
In 2007 NHIndustries was obliged to pay the Finnish government a EUR20 million penalty for the late deliveries. In March 2008, Finland released a report on the programme, in which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) concluded that the delay was partly due to NHIndustries being a new joint venture of Eurocopter of France and Germany, Agusta of Italy, and Stork Fokker Aerospace of the Netherlands, as well as the NH90 still undergoing product development.
According to the report, the project timetable was too ambitious, although "the evaluation process showed that both parties of the contract have been acting in good faith".
In 2013, Finland renegotiated its deal with NHIndustries to reflect the delays and missed deadlines. This new contract, which will run through to 2018, includes modifications to the helicopter in order to fulfil the critical operational requirements of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The army/air force TTH version of the NH90 is designed for tactical transport, airmobile operations, and search and rescue (SAR), and can carry up to 20 fully armed troops or 2.5 tonnes of equipment. In addition, specialist applications include tactical support; special electronic warfare (EW); airborne command post; VIP transport and training; defensive weapons suite; and a rear-loading ramp/door.
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(358 of 505 words)
08 July 2015
The final NH90 for Finland has been handed over, some five years later than scheduled. Source: Airbus Helicopter
Finland received into service the last of its 20 NHIndustries NH90 Tactical Troop Transport (TTH) helicopters on 9 July, Airbus Helicopters announced.
The helicopter was handed over to the Finnish Defence Forces during a ceremony at Patria's domestic production facility at Halli, marking the end of a delivery process that was begun in March 2008.
Finland signed its contract for the 20 NH90 TTH helicopters in 2001 at a cost of EUR370 million (USD408 million), as a part of a common acquisition programme with Sweden and Norway to replace its ageing fleet of Mil Mi-8 'Hip' transport helicopters.
The first helicopter for Finland made its maiden flight at Airbus Helicopters' (then Eurocopter) facility at Marignane, France, in 2004. Deliveries were due to be complete in 2010, but were set back by programmatic delays.
In 2007 NHIndustries was obliged to pay the Finnish government a EUR20 million penalty for the late deliveries. In March 2008, Finland released a report on the programme, in which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) concluded that the delay was partly due to NHIndustries being a new joint venture of Eurocopter of France and Germany, Agusta of Italy, and Stork Fokker Aerospace of the Netherlands, as well as the NH90 still undergoing product development.
According to the report, the project timetable was too ambitious, although "the evaluation process showed that both parties of the contract have been acting in good faith".
In 2013, Finland renegotiated its deal with NHIndustries to reflect the delays and missed deadlines. This new contract, which will run through to 2018, includes modifications to the helicopter in order to fulfil the critical operational requirements of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The army/air force TTH version of the NH90 is designed for tactical transport, airmobile operations, and search and rescue (SAR), and can carry up to 20 fully armed troops or 2.5 tonnes of equipment. In addition, specialist applications include tactical support; special electronic warfare (EW); airborne command post; VIP transport and training; defensive weapons suite; and a rear-loading ramp/door.
Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact
To read the full article, Client Login
(358 of 505 words)
