Helicopter Caïman Marine

The NHIndustries NH90 is an 11-ton European twin-turbine military helicopter designed for military transport and assault operations. It results from cooperation between France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, with the subsequent accession of Portugal, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Belgium. It is manufactured by NHIndustries, a European joint venture made up of Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland (which became Leonardo-Finmeccanica in 2016) and Fokker Technologies.

The NH90 exists in two main versions: the TTH (tactical transport) and the NFH (anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare), with 23 derived versions and sub-versions in total.

However, since entering service, the NH90 has encountered various technical problems which have led to delays and cancellations of orders, notably in Norway and Australia.

The story of the NH90 begins in 2000 with the production of the first prototype, followed by orders from several countries. The first production helicopter flew in 2004 in Italy. The delivery of the first devices took place in Germany in 2006.

France received its first NH90s in 2010, using the name "Caïman" for the Army version and "Caïman Marine" for the Navy version. In 2012, Italy deployed the NH90 to Afghanistan.

In 2018, Airbus announced that it had delivered 350 NH90s to 20 customers in 13 countries. In 2020, more than 427 examples had been delivered to 18 customers in 13 countries, with more than 265,000 flight hours. The 500th was delivered in 2023.

The NH90 program was created in the 1990s by a collaboration of NATO nations, and NH Industries was created to manage the program. Several countries have joined the program over the years.

Despite delays and additional costs, the NH90 has been adopted by several armies for various missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, sea rescue, and troop transport.

The NHIndustries NH90 is also used by the French Navy under the name "Caïman Marine", with improved submarine detection capabilities thanks to its FLASH sonar. It became operational in 2011 and has evolved to include torpedo launching capabilities.