Country of origin:

International

Description:

Multi-role transport and utility helicopter

Power Plant:

Two 1,662 kw (2,230 shp) Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01/9 turboshafts

Specifications:

History:

The NH-90 has been developed by NH Industries, a consortium set up by France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands, comprising Eurocopter, Agusta Westland and Stork Fokker Aerospace, to produce a medium-sized utility helicopter for the armies and navies of those countries. The design was initiated by Britain, France, Italy and West Germany in the mid 1980s but in due course Britain withdrew in 1987. In April 1990 Germany and France announced a requirement for the NH-90 for their armed forces, France indicating it was needed as a replacement for its Puma helicopters. In 1992 a new company was formed to develop the new technology helicopter, it being announced that up to 726 airframes would be built, comprising 544 tactical transport aircraft and 182 naval variants.

The prototype (F-ZWTH – c/n PT.1) was first flown on 18 December 1995 at Marignane near Marseille, France being described as ‘potentially the most advanced helicopter in the world.’ Originally fitted with Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM 322 engines, it later became the test bed for the General Electric/Fiat Avio T200/T6E1 engine, making its first flight with this engine on 13 March 1998. Five pre-production prototypes were built, PT-2 being used for fly-by-wire system development. PT-3 flew on 27 November 1998 and was used for avionics system development and made the first aircraft carrier landing on the Charles de Gaulle on 23 October 2000. PT-4 first flew on 31 May 1999 and was the certification aircraft. PT-5 first flew on 22 December 1999 and was the development machine for naval variants, the NH-90 and TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter).

The NH-90 is a twin-engine multi-role naval and battlefield helicopter designed around an all-composite, crashworthy fuselage with a low radar signature and constant cross-section fuselage. The central cabin is 4 m (13 ft 1½ in) long, 2 m (6 ft 6 in) wide, and 1.58-m (5 ft 2⅛ in) high giving sufficient space for naval equipment, or up to 20 seats for troops. The fuel tanks are designed for high crash resistance and have self-sealing cells. The undercarriage is retractable and the main rotor hub is titanium with elastomeric bearings. The four-rotor blades are of composite construction. The tail rotor is of the Spheriflex design, being a one-piece four-blade unit.

Two power plants are available, the 1,566 kw (2,100 shp) Rolls Royce/Turbomeca RTM 333 or the General Electric T700/T6E turboshafts. It may be flown with a crew of one pilot, and controls are fly-by-wire with side-stick controllers. In the standard troop carrying role 14 troops are carried, giving an endurance of 3 hours, but up to 18 may be carried for short distances. In the casualty evacuation role 12 stretchers can be loaded through the rear loading ramp. For self-protection a missile launch detector, radar warning receiver, laser warning receiver, chaff/flare dispenser, and an IR jammer may be installed.

Perceived roles include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, over the horizon targeting, vertical replenishment, search and rescue, and escort or self defence. A civil variant has also been proposed. Initial order for the type was 154 with deliveries commencing in 2003. Eurocopter France is responsible for the basic helicopter and its systems; Eurocopter Germany the TTH Army variant; and Agusta in Italy the naval systems integration. Five prototypes were built. A Microturbo Saphyr 100 APU is installed and more than 500 have been ordered for Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. Kongsberg Defence Aerospace of Norway produces the rotor head, OGMA in Portugal produces a number of parts, and Stork Fokker Aerospace produces the intermediate gearbox.

Two examples of the NH-90 were brought to Australia as cargo on board the A300-600 ST Beluga and displayed at the bi-annual Australian International Airshow at Avalon, VIC in February 2003, these being F-ZWTI in overall grey colour scheme and the second machine, which was the first prototype (F-ZWTH), in camouflage with nose radar and long-range fuel tanks. On 31 August 2003 the Australian Government announced it had ordered twelve examples of what was then described as the MRH-90 troop-lift helicopter, saying the new machine “could carry up to 18 fully equipped soldiers plus a crew of four, or 4,000 kg (8,818 lb) of cargo….are fully protected from marinising – corrosion caused by the sea – and their rotor blades fold easily….they can operate on the Navy’s transport ships, including the two huge helicopter carriers that will be built in the next ten years.” Serials A40-001 to A40-012 were initially allotted to the series.

On 18 June 2006 the Australian Government announced it had ordered a further 34 examples of the MRH-90 for service with the Australian Navy and Australian Army, the Navy machines to replace the Westland Sea King. Some of the Army machines are to replace Black Hawks which were scheduled to be phased out in 2015.

In mid-2005 it was announced the Australian machines would be fitted with the RTM-322-01/9 engine with FADEC and would have four composite blades with a titanium rotor hub. The first Australian machine (F-ZVLF) flew on 28 March 2007 at the Eurocopter Flight Test Centre at Marignane in France and the first four machines were manufactured in France before being shipped to Australia. The first fuselage for completion in Australia arrived at the Eurocopter facility in Brisbane, QLD on 27 March 2007, assembly beginning on 2 May.

On 18 December 2007 an “in-service date” ceremony was held at the Eurocopter facility, the first two aircraft being handed over, being A40-002 (marked Navy) and A40-003 (marked Army). The Army machines are stationed with A Squadron with the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade at Townsville, QLD, and No 171 Aviation Squadron at Holsworthy Barracks, NSW. The Navy machines are attached to No 817 Squadron at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, NSW. In March 2008 A40-002 and A40-003 began test and evaluation at Townsville. The Army and Navy aircraft are operated from a common pool and all are painted in the standard tan, olive and black camouflage paint scheme.

Assembly of the Australian aircraft took place at the Eurocopter facility in Brisbane, which was constructed to assemble Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters, the first fuselage for Australian assembly arriving in Brisbane on 27 March 2007. First of 42 machines assembled in Australia became A40-005, and was delivered late in 2008. Serials allotted to the series were A40-001 to A40-046. The type was commissioned into service in a joint Army and Navy ceremony at HMAS Albatross in July 2013, this event also marking the formal induction of No 808 Squadron RAN to operate the type. Whilst at sea the MRH-90 Taipan will operate from the 27,000-tonne landing helicopter dock amphibious ships HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide.

In early 2005 the New Zealand Government announced the selection of the MRH-90 (the New Zealand variant described as the NH-90TTH) to replace the RNZAF’s fleet of 14 Bell UH-1H Iroquois, with an order for eight aircraft placed in mid 2006 to enter service from 2010. These machines, known as the TNZA, were manufactured in Europe. The forward fuselage was manufactured at the Eurocopter Deutschland Donauworth facility, the rear fuselage sections being manufactured at the Agusta facility in Italy. The fuselage sections were conveyed to the French facility at Marignane before entering the final NH-90 assembly line. The first RNZAF machine (TNZA-01) entered the final assembly line in April 2008 and commenced its test flying schedule as F-ZWTU (c/n 1177 – TNZAO1) at Marignane on 4 May 2009.

All machines were expected to be in service by 2013, housed in a new hangar at RNZAF Base Ohakea and operated by No 3 Squadron. One of the first overseas deployments of the type was NZ3303 and NZ3304 taken on board HMNZS Canterbury at Wellington and conveyed to Australia where they took part in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015, operating in the Rockhampton, QLD area of Australia before being flown back to the ship, then berthed at Gladstone, QLD and returned to New Zealand.

On 17 October 2012 an NH-90 was placed on the Australian civil aircraft register, this aircraft (c/n 1203) becoming VH-BCR on 17 October 2012 to Australian Aerospace Ltd of Pinkenba, QLD. The aircraft only remained on the civil register until 17 April 2013 when it became A40-020 with the Australian Army.

Originally operational capability of the 46 MRH-90s was to be achieved in July 2014 but was not expected to be realised until April 2019 due to problems with the program, a delay of five years. Trials of the MRH-90 were made at sea in 2012 with HMAS Choules and these showed the machine had impressive handling over the deck and good potential for embarked operations. In 2015 exercises were carried out with HMAS Canberra involving 124 sorties, 688 landings and 260 flying hours involving five machines, four Army and one Navy.

The nine aircraft delivered to the RNZAF are known as the NH-90TTH (TNZA) and their identities are: NZ3301 (c/n 1177/TNZA01 – ex F-WZTU); NZ3302 (c/n 1206/TNZA02 – ex F-WZDD); NZ3303 (c/n 1207/TNZA03 – EX F-WZDO); NZ3304 (c/n 1208/TNZA04 – ex F-WZDR); NZ3305 (c/n 1241 /TNZA07 – ex F-WZBC); NZ3306 (c/n 1229/TNZA06 – ex F-WZDV); NZ3307 (c/n 1265/TNZA08 – ex F-WZBT); NZ3308 (c/n 1267/TNZA09 – ex F-WZDE); and NZ3309 (c/n 1209/TNZA05).

In mid 2021 the Australian Department of Defence grounded the fleet of MRH-90 Taipans for more then a month due to safety reasons, this being one of a number of groundings of the type during its service life.

On 10 December 2021 the Australian Minister for Defence announced the Government would retire the Taipan ten years earlier than planned and would obtain from the United States 40  Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters. It was stated at the time the cost of the Blackhawks and ongoing costs in service was $A7 billion whereas it woulsd cost $A9 billion to keep the Taipan in service.

At that time then Australia Army operated 41 MRH-90s, which had been obtained under Project AIR 9000 Phases 2 and 4 from 2004.  At that time the Blackhawk was also offered to the Department of Defence. The Taipan in service demonstrated poor availability. At one stage A and B Squdrons based at No 5 Aviation Regiment at Townsville, QLD found it necessary to lease two Agusta Westland AW-139s from Toll – Helicorp to allow for training and currency of crews.

The type has also been attched to No 6 Aviation Regiment at Holsworthy, NSW, receiving is aircraft in 2019.  However, this unit has been involved in the support role for special force troops and it was found the Taipan was unsuitble for the purpose, the Blackhawk helicopters then also in service at Holsworthy having their life extended to the end of 2021 to fulfil this need. On 10 December 2021 the old Blackhawks were retired, a number going to museums and the others sold.

The Royal Australian Navy also operated the Taipan from it base at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, NSW, these aircraft being obtained under AIR 9000 Phase 6, entering service in 2010.  However, they also suffered from availability problems and in October 2021 it was announced an additional 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks would be obtined and these would augment the 23 MH-60Rs already in service.

The Minister stated the MRH-90 Taipans would be sold but a few would probably remain in service for humanitrian relief work in Australia and in the Pacific region.