After more than two decades of delays and technical setbacks, Norway has decided to take the manufacturer NHIndustries (NHI) to court, demanding compensation six times greater than the original value of the Nh90 helicopter contract.
According to the Norwegian portal Technical weekly magazinethe government in Oslo is seeking 33 Billion Norwegian crowns (€ 2.8 Billion) in compensation following the failure of mediation talks. The lawsuit will be reviewed by the Oslo District Court starting on November 10, 2025.
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A Problematic Program from the Start
In 2001, Norway ordered 14 NH90 helicopters through the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) at a cost of around 5 Billion kroner (approximately €500 million at the time). Built by NHIndustries — a consortium of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardoand Fokker — the aircraft were intended for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescueand coast guard operations.
However, the program soon became one of the most problematic in recent European defense history.
A 2018 report from the Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces had already warned that the NH90 fleet would only meet contractual goals if there was “good availability of spare parts, adequate maintenance structures, and a sufficiently broad support organization.”
“More Than 20 Years and Still No Operational Helicopters”
“We made several attempts to resolve the issues related to the NH90 in cooperation with NHI, but more than 20 years after signing the contract, we still do not have helicopters capable of performing the missions for which they were purchased,” stated Gro Jæredirector of Defense material (FMA), Norway’s defense procurement agency, in June 2022.
Withdrawal and Replacement
That same year, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency made an unprecedented decision: to ground and return the entire NH90 fleetdemanding a full refund.
“No matter how many hours our technicians work or how many parts we order — it will never be possible to make the NH90s meet the requirements of our armed forces,” said then-Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.
The NHIndustries consortium reacted with “extreme disappointment,” claiming it was not given the opportunity to present its final proposal to improve helicopter availability in the country.
Soon after the contract termination, Oslo signed a new agreement with American company Sikorsky — a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin — to supply HH-60W helicopters, which will replace the NH90s.
From Refund to Billion-Euro Compensation
Initially, Norway only sought a refund of €500 million for the original purchase. Now, the claim has been raised to €2.8 billioncovering: – Reimbursement of all amounts paid to NHI; – The cost of the new HH-60W helicopter order (€1.09 billion); – Maintenance and operational expenses for the NH90 during its service period.
A Global NH90 Problem
Norway is not alone. Other countries have also expressed frustration with the NH90’s performance. Australia decided to replace its 41 NH90 Mr. Taipan helicopters with 40 UH-60M Black Hawksciting high maintenance costs and low availability. The Royal Australian Navy also announced it would replace its six naval MRH90s with 12 MH-60R Seahawks.
Sweden followed suit, confirming in 2022 that it would retire its HKP-14 NH90 versions by 2035, opting instead for new UH-60 Black Hawks for transport and a future successor for naval missions.
Sources and images: Teknisk Ukeblad | Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret | AeroTime. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
