Zain Malik
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The first of 18 Airbus Helicopters NH90 Sea Lion helicopters for the German Navy made its maiden flight on 8 December. Source: Airbus Helicopters
The first of 18 Airbus Helicopters NH90 Sea Lion maritime helicopters for the German Navy made its maiden flight on 8 December, the company announced.
The flight, which took place at Airbus Helicopters' Donauwörth production facility in southern Germany, marked the completion of a major milestone for the programme ahead of customer deliveries to Nordholz naval air base that are set to run from the end of 2019 through to 2022.
With flight trials of this first Sea Lion now set to get underway, the second aircraft is currently in the final assembly phase. Serial production of the remaining 16 will begin in the third quarter of 2017.
Launched at the ILA Airshow in Berlin in May 2014, the Sea Lion is largely similar in scope to the baseline NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH)-variant helicopter, but features German-specific communications and navigation equipment (including satellite communications); provision for an M3M 12.7 mm door gun on either side; and the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for locating, identifying, and tracking ships.
When fully operational, the Sea Lion is intended to provide continued ASW, ASuW, maritime surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), vertical replenishment, and transport capabilities for the German Navy's F124 Sachsen-class frigates, the planned F125 Baden-Wurttemberg-class frigates, and the Berlin-class (Type 702) combat support vessels.
