Dutch NH90's: From pioneering to a capable platform

In the year 2000 a production contract was signed by the Dutch MoD for 20 NH90 NFH (NATO Frigate Helicopter) maritime helicopters, bought to replace the aging fleet of Westland Lynx helicopters that Royal Netherlands Navy was using since 1976. 

The NH90 was developed and manufactured by NH Industries, a collaborative company, which is owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker Aerostructures. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in December 1995; the type first entered operational service in 2007. In 2010, The Netherlands became the first country to receive the NFH variant. 

All 20 NH90s are stationed at the De Kooy Naval Air Station. There are two squadrons, 7 squadron for training, and the 860 squadron which is the operational NH90 squadron. Both squadrons are covered by the Defence Helicopter Command (DHC) which consists of both air force and navy personnel. 

We spoke to 860 squadron Commander Niels Kleingeld and Captains Gerwin and Thijs. Commander Kleingeld stated, “We look at the importance of deployments and of course, the Dutch Navy wants to have a helicopter to perform operations in the Dutch Caribbean and for anti-piracy missions and also for the large preparation moments of ships to get ready for the mission area.” 

To fly the NH90, the setup of the crew varies.  Besides the pilot and copilot, there are various other tasks to be fulfilled. When operating tactically, there is a need for someone to take care of the tactical situation and also to coordinate with the ship. This is done by a tactical coordinator (TACCO), who sets the helicopter based on the orders he receives from the ship and passes the information to DHC.  

The sensor operators also play a very important role, especially in warfare configuration. There are two sensor consoles at the back of the helicopter which can be used by one or two operators, depending on the mission. Explaining the upgradation from one sensor to dual, Commander Kleingeld stated, “At the very beginning, we flew with one sensor operator, who had to operate the radar, sonar, FLIR, electronic warfare, sonar buoys and uplink but the task load was too high for one sensor operator, so we are now in the process of doubling sensor operators.”

Then there are mission essential people, for counter piracy and counter drug operations, a Rescue Operator Aerial Marksman (ROAM) is trained to performed such tasks. He operates the sniper gun for multiple purposes and one among them is aiming the outboard motors of a drugs boat apart from that,  he is also trained as a rescue operator. During Search and Rescue action, he is the man who goes down first to ensure that the patient is well packed in the stretcher; he is accompanied by a doctor who provides medical assistance.

The NH90 arose from the idea of developing a joint NATO helicopter and the Netherlands is a lead nation in the project, together with France. Commander Kleingeld stated, “All kinds of data are shared, varying from maintenance data to various procedures, how to deal with sensors, how to set up sensors, how to get the most out of the radar.” There is also an extensive cooperation with the Belgians since the spare parts are shared with Belgium; this reduces costs as the Belgian Navy operates the same variant of the NH90.

There are different versions of the NH90, and that makes sharing and updating difficult. Eventually, almost every country has developed their own version of the helicopter. There are all kinds of options, for example, with sensors one could choose from a German, French or Italian version at the time. 

The N5 version that The Netherlands has purchased can be used in two roles for combat and transport. Twelve NH90 helicopters are inducted as NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) and they are equipped with all necessary system to carry out maritime combat task. Eight helicopters are used as Tactical NATO Frigate Helicopter (TNFH) and as a tactical transport helicopter, they are used both on land and at sea. To carry out the transport task, systems such as the sonar and the control station of the sensor operator have been removed to provide additional space and also to reduce the weight of the helicopter. Depending on the missions, the NH90 can be converted to an amphibious version or a version that is capable for performing maritime warfare, but the base is the same for all 20 helicopters. 

While describing some of the tasks of the NH90, Kleingeld stated, “One of the largest tasks is surface warfare, the NH90 is perfectly crafted to perform reconnaissance at sea, to protect trading routes and to perform anti-piracy operations, we can execute anti-submarine warfare by mapping the underwater areas. Other tasks we carry out with the NH90 are counter drugs operations in the Caribbean, SAR missions, fast-roping and to carry out external and internal loads or troops. It is a multi-role helicopter which can be used for various missions, depending on the requirement of the assignment.”

Twice a year, an exercise in submarine warfare is held at RNAS Culdrose in the United Kingdom. The NH90 helicopter which is a part of this exercise is equipped with a  long-range active sonar (HELRAS), but can also work in combination with sonar buoys. Besides the HELRAS, the NH90 is installed with inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) and with the help of the radar and sonar, the crew can monitor activities both over and under water. Apart from that, the thermal imaging equipment (FLIR) provides an additional provision to perform various tasks during hostile conditions. The FLIR can also visually identify the targets that could be found at a great distance with the radar. 

The NH90 can be armed with a MAG or M3M as a door gun, but there is also a provision to carry torpedoes. Speaking about the future, Kleingeld stated, “We have the Mk46 torpedo but it is at the end of its lifespan so we are planning to replace it with modernised version by 2021.” He is also exploring a possibility of equipping a helicopter with an air-to-surface missile, “Being an extended arm of the ship, we must also equip our armoury with the missile that can be carried by a helicopter to destroy land targets.” The NH90 has provisions for a Marte anti-ship missile, but the Norwegians have already tested the Naval Strike Missile under the NH90. 











Text by Jeroen van Veenendaal
Photo's by Roelof-Jan Gort, Ralph Blok, Jeroen van Veenendaal (DutchAviationPhoto.com)