On the occasion of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) 2024, the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) and Leonardo celebrated the 2,500 flight hours of the NH90 helicopter fleet. This milestone has been made possible through strategic cooperation, which has been aided by Leonardo’s direct involvement in providing training and supporting maintenance operations.
With an average serviceability above 80%, the Qatar Emiri Air Force is one of the NH90 end users that operates both the TTH (Tactical Troop Transport) and the NFH (Naval Frigate Helicopter) versions of the helicopter for land and naval operations. The aircraft’s main missions include troop transport and utility, search and rescue, and surveillance.
Since the first delivery in 2018, as of today the QEAF has received 18 helicopters, out of the total of 28 helicopters ordered, nine TTH helicopters built at the assembly line of Marignane (Airbus) and nine NFH helicopters built at the final assembly line of Venice (Leonardo).
Leonardo is the prime contractor for the overall programme and is also responsible for the final assembly and delivery of the NH90 NFH helicopters from its production facility in Tessera, Venice. Leonardo also provides on-site support to the Air Force, including engineers, skilled technicians, logistics specialists, and instructors.
The company has also built the Training Centre located at Doha Air Base, which includes two Full Flight Simulators (FFS) in naval and land versions, developed in collaboration with CAE, as well a variety of other systems covering the flight and the mission training requirements.
Since entry to service in June 2023 close to 1,700 hours have been flown on the Full Flight Simulators in cooperation with the military instructors of the Italian Armed Forces.
The NH90 is equipped with the latest generation systems. It achieves the highest possible performance in all military missions whether at sea or on land. The NH90 has been designed and is proven to operate in the most demanding conditions, including sand, dust, and ice. The NH90 has a multi-role capability, enhancing its operational effectiveness in all military environments sharing a common platform designed for fleet rationalization and interoperability.
Leonardo Contribution to the NH90 Helicopter
Leonardo is responsible for, or contributes to, the design, production and integration of a wide range of critical NH90 components and systems. These include the rear fuselage, main gear box hydraulic system, upper modes of the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), plant management system, power plant integration, NFH mission system (integrating sonar, radar, electro-optics, tactical link, electronic warfare system, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator, mission video recording and weapon systems management including air-to-surface missiles and torpedoes for Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Anti-Submarine (ASW) missions. Leonardo also integrates additional capabilities such as the Laser Obstacle Avoidance Monitoring (LOAM) system and the LEOSS-T electro-optical system (also selected by the German Navy for their new NH90 Multi Role Frigate Helicopter Programme), as well as pintle-mounted Gatling-type guns, for specific customers.
The NH90 Helicopter
The largest military helicopter programme in Europe, the NH90 is the optimal choice for modern operations thanks to its fully composite airframe with a large cabin, its excellent power-to-weight ratio and its wide range of role equipment. It features a quadruplex fly-by-wire flight control system for reduced pilot workload and enhanced flight handling characteristics. The NH90 is available in two main variants: one specified for naval operations, the NH90 NFH (NATO Frigate Helicopter) and the TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) for land-based operations.
As of today, over 500 NH90 helicopters, a mixture of both variants, have been delivered worldwide carrying out missions in a wide range of weather and environmental conditions, over land and sea.
