A new pitcher of cold water has been poured over the NH90 European helicopter program. Norway has terminated the contract for 14 helicopters of this model that it ordered twenty years ago and of which it had only received eight units, despite the fact that the planned delivery schedule should have been fulfilled 13 years ago. The authorities of the country allege to justify the decision delays and poor availability, due to the slowness of maintenance and various problems. The country’s Defense Minister, Bjørn Arild Gram, has been forceful in assuring that in his department “we have come to the conclusion that, no matter how many hours our technicians work and no matter how many parts we order, it will never be possible for the NH90 to be able to meet the requirements of the Norwegian Armed Forces.”
It is not the first customer to opt out of this helicopter model from NH Industries (a joint venture formed by Airbus Helicopters, which owns 62.5% of the company; the Italian Leonardo, with a 32% stake, and the Dutch Stork Fokker, in whose hands the remaining 5.5%) is held). Australia is the most notorious case, after choosing to get rid of its fleet of 47 MRH90 Taipan, local version of the NH90 for not having offered the expected availability, although it was planned that they would continue operating until 2037. Belgium also announced at the beginning of the year its intention to inject 3,000 million euros into its strategic plan for new material, launched in 2016, with the main intention of buying new helicopters with which, to a large extent, replace its fleet of four NH90 TTH (ground version of the device). Two years ago the Belgian Ministry of Defense acknowledged that it was already studying what to do with its NH90 TTH in view of “limited operational production due to a lack of industrial support, which will probably decrease in the coming years, due to very expensive but necessary upgrades and staff shortages,” according to the statement issued on the situation two years ago by the Belgian Ministry of Defense.