Nhindustries Nh90

Twin Rotorcraft

The NH90 is a medium-lift military helicopter developed by NHIndustries, a consortium of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, and Fokker Aerostructures, entering service in 2007 as Europe's first fully fly-by-wire production helicopter. Designed to replace aging Puma, Sea King, and UH-1 fleets across NATO nations, the NH90 comes in two primary variants: the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for troop transport and utility missions, and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) for naval operations including anti-submarine warfare. Australia operates the MRH90 variant (military designation for the TTH), which features a four-blade composite main rotor, twin Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft engines producing 2,230 shaft horsepower each, and advanced avionics including night vision compatibility and full glass cockpit displays. The type can carry up to 20 troops or 2,500 kilograms of cargo internally, with a maximum sling load capacity of 4,000 kilograms. With a never-exceed speed of 167 knots and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet, the NH90 offers significantly improved performance over the Vietnam-era helicopters it replaced, though its operational history has been marked by higher-than-expected maintenance requirements and availability challenges across multiple air arms. The Australian Defence Force began retiring its MRH90 fleet in late 2024 after persistent serviceability issues, replacing them with UH-60M Black Hawks. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.