NHIndustries (JV consisting of Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters and GKN Fokker) and the NATO Agency NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency), which acts on behalf of the Armed Forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), have signed the contract for the acquisition of 31 helicopters naval multirole NH90 MRFH Sea Tiger. The operational activities of helicopters from naval units in Germany will be launched in 2025.
Leonardo plays a fundamental role in the systemic integration of all the naval variants of the NH90 (the largest European helicopter program, in which the Company has a 32% share) and for all customers and supplies, in the case of the Sea Tigers of the Germany, also the latest generation LEOSS-T electro-optical system, equipped with laser target designation capability. With the contribution to this program, Leonardo once again confirms its leadership position in the field of naval helicopters, boasting a wide and modern range of dedicated products and technologies and a strong international positioning.
As part of the more general NH90 helicopter program, Leonardo is responsible for or significantly contributes to the design, production and / or integration of a wide range of critical helicopter systems and components. These include the tail section of the fuselage, the transmission, the hydraulic system, the autopilot, the mission system of the naval variant, the integration of the power plant and the final assembly of the TTH (land) and NFH (naval) variants. ) for various customers at the Venice Tessera plant. Leonardo also integrates additional dedicated systems, avionics and sensors such as the Laser Obstacle Avoidance System (LOAM), the latest generation LEOSS-T electro-optical system, radar, digital map generator, sonar and console mission for naval applications. With regard to weapon systems, Leonardo contributes to the integration of gatling-type machine guns on the tailgate, torpedoes and air-to-surface anti-ship missiles.
To date, nearly 430 helicopters have been delivered, of which about 100 in naval version, to operators in different countries. The helicopters in service have accumulated over 265.000 hours of flight on mission, in any climatic condition, both in land and sea.