#Taipan helicopters full#

Fokker 5.5% (Tail structure, doors, sponsons, landing gear, and the intermediate gearbox).

Airbus Helicopters Deutschland 31.25% (Forward and center fuselage, fuel system, communications, and avionics control systems).

Airbus Helicopters France 31.25% (Engines, rotors, electrical system, flight control, and the core avionics systems).

Major components are produced by each of the shareholding companies: The Marignane assembly line can reportedly complete up to 22 NH90s per year. Spain has a final assembly line at Albacete. The Nordic and Australian contracts stipulated production locally (the Nordic ones at Patria in Finland and the Australian ones in Brisbane). The NH90 was initially intended to be produced at three exporting final assembly lines (FAL): Cascina Costa in Italy for AgustaWestland, Marignane in France and Donauwörth in Germany for Airbus Helicopters. By April 2013, a total of 529 NH90s of all variants were on order by various customers. Additional orders have since followed from customers in Europe, Asia, and Australia. In June 2000, the partner states placed a large production order, worth US$8.6 billion, for a total of 366 helicopters. During the development phase of the programme in the 1990s, both technical and funding problems were experienced. Many of the operators have requested specific configurations to their own helicopter fleets, thus each country's NH90 is effectively customized to the end-user's requirements.

These two main variants share about 75% commonality with each other.

The NH90 was developed into two main variants: the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH). On 12 December 2002, PT3 became the first helicopter to fly exclusively with fly-by-wire controls following the removal of mechanical back-up controls. The second prototype, PT2, first flew on 19 March 1997 and the third prototype, PT3, on 27 November 1998. The first prototype, PT1, made the type's first flight on 18 December 1995. Design work on the helicopter started in 1993. Portugal later joined the agency in June 2001. This agency represented the four participating states: France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. On 1 September 1992, NH Industries signed an NH90 design-and-development contract with NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency). The United Kingdom left the team in 1987. In 1985, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom teamed to develop a NATO battlefield transport and anti-ship/anti-submarine helicopter for the 1990s. 3.15 Cancelled orders and failed order campaigns.

#Taipan helicopters full#

In 2022 Norway terminated the program and demanded a full refund, while Australia decided to retire the type 10 years ahead of schedule. Since its introduction into service, the NH90 has suffered several technical issues, which have delayed active deployment of the type by some operators. There are two main variants, the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for army use and the navalised NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) each customer typically has various alterations and customisations made to their own NH90 fleets, such as different weapons, sensors, and cabin arrangements, to meet their own specific requirements. The NH90 is the first production helicopter to feature entirely fly-by-wire flight controls.

As of June 2022, the NH90 has logged 327,053 flight hours in the armed forces of thirteen countries. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1995 the type first entered operational service in 2007. The NH90 was developed and is manufactured by NHIndustries, a collaborative company owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) and Fokker Aerostructures. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter.