After more than twenty years of delays and technical problems, Norway has decided the manufacturer NHIndustries (NHI) to the court and demands 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 asks for a compensation of 33 billion Norwegian crowns (€ 2.8 billion) After failed mediation interviews. The case will from 10 november 2025 are treated by the Oslo court.
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A problematic program from the start
Norway ordered in 2001 14 NH90 helicopters Via NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) for an amount of approximately 5 billion crowns (about € 500 million at the time). The helicopters were built by Nhindustries – a consortium of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo in Fokker – and were meant for submarine control-, Search and rescue operations in coast guard missions.
However, the program soon grew into one of the most problematic projects in recent European defense history.
A report from 2018 of the Chief of the Norwegian armed forces Already warned that the NH90 fleet could only achieve the contractual goals if there were “sufficient availability of spare parts, suitable maintenance structures and a wide support network”.
“More than 20 years and still no operational helicopters”
“We have made various attempts to solve the problems with the NH90 in collaboration with NHI, but more than 20 years after signing the contract, we still have no helicopters who can perform the missions for which they were purchased,” said Gro Jæredirector of Defense material (FMA), The Norwegian Agency for Defense Purchasing, in June 2022.
Withdrawal and replacement
In the same year, the Norwegian Defense Material Service A historical decision: to remove and return the full NH90 fleetwith one claim to full refund.
“It doesn’t matter how many hours our technicians work or how many parts we order – it will never be possible to make the NH90 suitable for the requirements of our forces,” said the then Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram.
NHIndustries responded with “big disappointment” and stated that it had not had a chance to present his last proposal to improve the availability of helicopters in Norway.
Shortly after the termination of the contract, Oslo signed a new agreement with the American company Sikorsky – A subsidiary of Lockheed Martin – For the delivery of HH-60W-Heliopters, who will replace the NH90.
From reimbursement to billion -dollar claim
Initially, Norway only demanded a reimbursement of € 500 million for the original purchase. Now the requirement has been increased to € 2.8 billionwhich includes: – reimbursement of all payments to NHI; -the costs of the new HH-60W helicopter order (€ 1.09 billion); – Maintenance and operational costs of the NH90 during the service period.
A worldwide NH90 problem
Norway is not alone. Other countries have also expressed their frustration about the performance of the NH90. Australia decided 41 NH90 Mr. Taipan to be replaced by 40 UH-60M Black Hawks Due to the high maintenance costs and low availability. The Australian Navy also announced that six maritime MRH90s will be replaced by 12 MH-60R Seahawks.
Sweden followed the same path and confirmed in 2022 that they are HKP-14-versions of the NH90 will phase out by 2035, with the purchase of new UH-60 Black Hawks For transport and a future successor for maritime missions.
Sources and images: Teknisk Ukeblad | Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret | Aerotime. This content was made with the help of AI and controlled by the editors.
