Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first NH90 helicopter of the second batch of 23 units to the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM) at its plant in Albacete, Spain. This is the first NH90 in Standard 3 configuration destined for the Spanish Air and Space Force.
This second batch, which includes 23 NH90 helicopters, foresees the delivery of a total of 16 Standard 3 helicopters, ten of which will equip the Spanish Army Air Mobile Forces (FAMET), while six will go to the Air and Space Force. The Spanish Navy will receive seven navalised helicopters. Deliveries will be staggered from December 2024 to 2028.
La #SEDEF @AmparoValcarce1 y el #JEMA destacan en Airbus Helicopters #Albacete los programas H-135 y NH-90, con la entrega del primer NH-90 de última generación al @EjercitoAire, situando a las FAS a la vanguardia tecnológica que recoge la Estrategia Industrial de Defensa. pic.twitter.com/D4yq8PVadm
— Ministerio Defensa (@Defensagob) December 19, 2024
The first NH90 for the Spanish Navy in tactical transport version (MSPT) is in the process of finalising its Type Certificate from the Spanish Airworthiness Authority and is already in Albacete awaiting its final delivery to the DGAM in the coming weeks. The Spanish Navy personnel, belonging to the 14th Squadron, have already started their training at the Albacete plant to begin operations with their first NH90.
«We are proud to be supporting our armed forces with these new state-of-the-art NH90s that will create a standardised modern fleet across all three armed forces. We have contributed to these benchmark airborne forces with a helicopter that offers a world-class operational capability to the Spanish Armed Forces. The upcoming addition of the NH90 in the Spanish Navy is a definitive step in the modernisation and Airbus Helicopters will be ready to respond to the needs of the Spanish customer,» said Fernando Lombo, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain.
The new NH90 for the Spanish Air Force is the first NH90 in the Standard 3 configuration. It offers more advanced communications with enhanced encryption capabilities, greater operational safety features and a number of system optimisations.
See also: Airbus launches study to develop new ASW version of NH90 for Spanish Navy
For its part, the MSPT will significantly increase the Spanish Navy’s strategic projection capabilities thanks to new onboard equipment such as a reinforced landing gear, a maximum take-off weight of up to 11 tonnes, and the automatic folding of the main rotor blades and rear fuselage.
Spain has 15 NH90 helicopters in FAMET service, known as “Sarrios”, while the Spanish Air and Space Force has six operational NH90 “Lobo”. Both have participated in the relief efforts after the passage of the Dana in Valencia.
