The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) ordered six more NH90 helicopters in the tactical troop transport (TTH) configuration, Airbus said Jan. 7.
Adding the newly ordered rotorcraft would bring the total amount of NH90 TTHs on order for the French Army Aviation to 74 units.
The NH90 TTH features a wide modular cabin, large sliding doors on each side with a rear ramp. The helicopter can be configured for several missions including troop transport as a 20-seat configuration, light vehicle transport, casualty evacuation with 12 stretchers, cargo airlift with standard NATO pallets, armed tactical transport, and combat search and rescue, Airbus said.
Airbus highlighted the NH90 is the first serial helicopter to be equipped with fly-by-wire technologies. Over 270 NH90s have been delivered to 13 countries so far, with almost 100,000 flight hours total.
“The French armed forces have deployed the NH90 operationally in Mali where its outstanding endurance, versatility and manoeuvrability have been greatly appreciated. This additional order for six NH90s, to be delivered in 2017 – 2019, confirms the essential role that new-generation multirole helicopters play in modern operations,” Guillaume Faury, President and CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said in a statement.
The contract was awarded to NHIndustries in line with a French military budget law 2015 update, Airbus said.
The NH90 program is managed by the NHIndustries consortium, which is owned by AgustaWestland (32 percent), Airbus Helicopters (62.5 percent), and Fokker (5.5 percent). AgustaWestland is a division of Finmeccanica.