Manufacturer Says Troubled NH-90 Has Come of Age
This NH-90 NFH (Naval Flight Helicopter) from the Italian navy was on static display at the ILA Berlin airshow. (Photo: Chris Pocock)
This NH-90 NFH (Naval Flight Helicopter) from the Italian navy was on static display at the ILA Berlin airshow. (Photo: Chris Pocock)

Despite many program delays and customer criticisms, the pan-European NH-90 helicopter “is fit for purpose and doing real missions,” according to Vincent Dubrule, president of the NH Industries joint venture among Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland and Fokker. He acknowledged that the NH-90 “had been a development program for too long, with a lot of variants. But now, nearly all the deliveries are in the final configuration.” The current focus is to refine in-service support, reduce the intervals between scheduled maintenance and “solve the remaining maturity issues,” Dubrule added.