First NH90 for Finnish Army Aviation delivered
The first of 20 NH90 TTT (Tactical Troop Transport) for the Finnish Army Aviation was delivered on March 11 at Eurocopter’s Marignane facility. It will subsequently be stationed at the Utti Base of the Finnish Defence Forces. This first aircraft was assembled by Eurocopter, while the remaining 19 will be assembled by Patria in Finland.
Marignane, 07 April 2008
Finland is replacing its ageing fleet of Mi-8 helicopters with the NH90 TTT. It meets the requirements of the Finnish armed forces in terms of mission capability and in terms of its suitability for international operations.
The NH90 has established itself as the military medium-size standard helicopter of the 21st century. It makes a significant contribution towards interoperability between European armed forces and their overseas allies for NATO and UN missions. In addition, it contributes towards standardization and rationalization in terms of costs, training and logistics. To date, a total of 507 NH90s have been ordered by 14 countries.
The NH90 is a latest-technology, twin-engine helicopter in the medium-size class. It has been designed from the outset as a multi-role weapons system. The tactical transport and naval variants of the helicopter share a common basic helicopter in a modular design. Dedicated, specialized mission equipment packages allow for maximum flexibility in operations. Special emphasis has been placed on features such as safety, reliability, availability, maintainability, testability and supportability. The diamond shape of the all-composite, corrosion-free airframe combines optimal aerodynamics with low detectability. Optimized man-machine interface significantly reduces pilot and crew workload. The NH90's superior handling qualities are enhanced by a fly-by-wire flight control system, making it the first production helicopter in the world to feature this advanced technology. The NH90 is qualified for day-and-night, all-weather operations.
The NH90 program is managed by the industrial consortium NHIndustries consisting of Eurocopter (62.5%), AgustaWestland (32%) and Stork Fokker (5.5%).
About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 14,000 people. In 2006, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 3.8 billion euros, orders for 615 new helicopters, and a 52% percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30% percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 17 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 9,800 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,500 customers in 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.
For more information, please contact:
| Cécile VION-LANCTUIT | Eurocopter |
Tel.: +33 (0)4 42 85 60 51 mailto: cecile.vion-lanctuit@eurocopter.com |
| Christina GOTZHEIN | Eurocopter |
Tel.: + 49 (0) 89 60 00 64 88 mailto: christina.gotzhein@eurocopter.com |
| Pekkee SUM | Eurocopter |
Tel.: +33 (0)4 42 85 17 13 mailto: Pek-Kee.Sum@eurocopter.com |
| José M. RUBIO | Eurocopter |
Tel.: +34 (0)91 379 66 04 mailto: jose-maria.rubio@eurocopter.com |
| www.eurocopter.com |
