The German Armed Forces completed the timely takeover of the last of a total of 18 new NH90 NTH (Naval Transport Helicopter) "Sea Lion" multi-purpose helicopters. The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw) commissioned the project in 2015. The order was successfully completed within budget, according to a statement from the German Armed Forces.
The project manager in the BAAINBw, Axel Hoffmann, expressed his satisfaction with the completion of the delivery and emphasized that the basis has now been created to exploit the great potential of this new weapon system. Captain Broder Nielsen, commander of the naval aviation command, added that with the takeover of all helicopters, a further step in the modernization of naval aviation has now been completed. Next, it is now time to accelerate the training and to develop a maintenance concept that is as modern and flexible as possible in order to quickly establish full operational readiness.
The NH90 NTH "Sea Lion" is mainly used for search and rescue missions (SAR) as well as for the transport of personnel and material. With a capacity of up to 20 people and equipped with special medical equipment, a rescue winch and heavy machine guns, the "Sea Lion" can also be used in risk zones.
With its sensor technology, including a 360-degree sea surveillance radar and infrared cameras, the helicopter has reconnaissance capabilities. With the assumption of SAR tasks from mid-2023, the Mk41 "Sea King" helicopter, which has been in use for almost 50 years, will gradually be able to be retired.
The last helicopter was formally handed over to the Bundeswehr on January 26th. Due to weather conditions, the transfer flight to Nordholz could only be carried out on January 31st.
Editorial / hum
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