After more than two decades full of delays and technical problems, Norway has decided to make the manufacturer NHIndustries (NHI) To sue and require compensation that is six times higher than the original contract value of the Nh90-Helicopter.
According to the Norwegian portal Technical weekly magazine the government in Oslo calls for compensation of 33 billion Norwegian crowns (2.8 billion euros) after failed arbitration negotiations. The case will be from the 10. November 2025 before the District Court Oslo negotiated.
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A problematic program from the start
Norway ordered in 2001 14 NH90 helicopter Via the NATO Helikopter Management Agency (Nahema) at a price of about 5 billion crowns (around 500 million euros back then). The helicopters were from Nhindustries – a consortium Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker – built and should be for Submarine defense-, Search and rescue missions as well as Coastal guards be used.
But the program quickly developed into one of the most problematic in the recent European defense history.
A report from 2018 of the Bosses of the Norwegian armed forces Even then warned that the NH90 fleet could only achieve the contractual goals if “good availability of spare parts, appropriate maintenance structures and a sufficiently large support organization” are available.
“More than 20 years and still no operational helicopter”
“We have made several attempts to solve the problems related to the NH90 in cooperation with NHI, but more than 20 years after signing the contract, we still have no helicopters that can meet the proposed missions,” said Gro JæreDirector of the Norwegian procurement authority Defense material (FMA), in June 2022.
Withdrawal and replacement
In the same year the Norwegian defense material agency An unprecedented decision: To shut down and return the entire NH90 fleet as well as request a complete refund.
“No matter how many hours our technicians work or how many spare parts we order – it will never be possible to adapt the NH90 to the requirements of our armed forces,” said the then Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram.
NHIndustries reacted with “extreme disappointment” and explained that there was no opportunity to present the last proposal to improve helicopter availability in Norway.
Shortly after the termination of the contract, Oslo signed a new contract with the US company Sikorsky – a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin – About the delivery of HH-60W-Hub screwdriver that are supposed to replace the NH90.
From a reimbursement of billions
Originally, Norway only wanted the reimbursement of 500 million euros for the original purchase price. Now the demand was 2.8 billion euros increases and comprises: – repayment of all amounts paid on NHI; -the cost of the new order of the HH-60W helicopter (1.09 billion euros); – maintenance and operating costs of the NH90 during their service.
A global NH90 problem
Norway is not alone. Other countries have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of the NH90. Australia decided his 41 NH90 Mr. Taipan through 40 UH-60M Black Hawks to replace – due to high maintenance costs and low operational readiness. The Royal Australian Navy also announced that her six Marine-MRH90 by 12 MH-60R Seahawks to replace.
Sweden followed the same path and confirmed in 2022 that his HKP-14Versions of the NH90 to 2035 are to be decommissioned to them in order to UH-60 Black Hawks to replace for transport purposes and a future successor for marine inserts.
Sources and pictures: Teknisk Ukeblad | Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret | Aerotime. This content was created with the support of AI and checked editorially.
