Airbus and Leonardo have teamed up to evaluate a Block 2 evolution of the NH90 helicopter, following a request from the NATO Helicopter Management Agency.
The envisaged Block 2 upgrade would see the NH90 medium helicopter design, in service with a number of armed forces worldwide, improved with new, modular avionics, greater performance, and the integration of networking features to allow for crewed-uncrewed teaming (CUC-T, also known as MUM-T) operations. Exact specifications for the upgrade will not be finalized until the completion of the architecture study, and after operators of the aircraft are able to comment on proposals.
CEO of Airbus Helicopters Bruno Even said: “There are several studies running at the moment at NATO, EU, and national levels to assess the future of military helicopters. Together with Leonardo we believe that the NH90 will have a central role to play in the future of European defense capabilities. The NH90 Block 2 evolution will benefit from some of the technologies being investigated by the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies study that we are collaborating on in partnership with Leonardo.”
The #NH90 Block 2 upgrade will include key structural improvements to the aircraft such as modular avionics, greater configuration commonality, improved maintenance and performance, as well as new capabilities in the field of collaborative combat, connectivity and CUC-T. #PAS25
— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) June 18, 2025
Aircraft operators are expected to be shown the results of the study by 2027with Block 2 hoped to extend the NH90’s service life at least into the 2050s. A Block 1 upgrade is already in progress, which will ensure the NH90 remains an operationally effective platform through to the time Block 2 might be ready.
The first production NH90 was delivered to the German Army in 2006 after a more than decade long development process, which saw the first prototype take flight in 1995. Similar to the AW101 Merlin, the NH90 is offered in two main variants: a utility helicopter designed for battlefield transport and logistics designated the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH), and a naval helicopter (NFH – NATO Frigate Helicopter) capable of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare as well as naval logistics.
Both variants are offered with either the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 or the General Electric CT7-8E powerplants. According to FlightGlobalupgrades to these engines, or the replacement of them, is one consideration for the Block 2 upgrade.
President of the NHIndustries consortium (composed of Airbus, Leonardo, and Fokker) Axel Aloccio is optimistic about the program but says aircraft operators may need to temper their requirements. “Block 2 is not an open bar, it’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet,” he said. We are telling this to our customers: in order to make Block 2 successful it has to remain affordable and manageable. If Block 2 has the same price tag as launching a new program it doesn’t make sense to do an upgrade.”
Feedback from operators hints at a desire for a greater range along with simplified maintenance. The NH90 has famously been plagued by poor availability rates, sometimes reaching as low as 25%which has been blamed on spares shortages and contracts that didn’t place a great enough focus on airframe availability. Some operators, like Australia, were so frustrated by the problems that entire fleets were withdrawn from use and replaced by competitor aircraft. Norway terminated their NH90 contract and even went to the length of requesting refunds from NHIndustries.
Conversely, a number of operators, such as the Netherlands, appear to be confident in their purchases and have been seen to utilize their helicopters extensively. 11 countries operate the helicopter at present, and while orders from new operators have slowed, a number of existing ones have expressed a desire to add to their fleets.
Did you know that when 11 NH90s fly together, there’s up to 253 troopers being carried at once? Congratulations to the Spanish #Famet for this demonstration of the #NH90 helicopter’s capabilities! 🚁🇪🇸@Jercitotierra pic.twitter.com/9qtSHcrjOO
— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) February 1, 2023
New Support Contract
The NH90 was featured at 2025’s Paris Air Show, with NHIndustries using the opportunity to announce an expansion of the helicopter’s support contracts. Belgium’s NH90s will now be covered by the contract, and it also adds additional services for France’s fleet and accommodates Germany’s Sea Tiger sub-variant.
NHIndustries at the Paris Air Show – Day 2!
We are pleased to announce the major expansion of the NH90 Operational Support contract, which now includes the new German MRFH variant (Sea Tiger), the Belgium NH90 fleet and additional support services to the French NH90 fleet. This… pic.twitter.com/0cAbAci7lB– nhindustries (@nhindustriessas) June 17, 2025
“NHIndustries is fully committed to ensuring customer satisfaction, and the contents of this agreement have been carefully crafted in order to provide the French and German Armed Forces with the right set of services for improving NH90 operability, affordability and serviceability,” Aloccio said at the show. “We are also very pleased to welcome Belgium in this new setup and extend our commitment of services to this longstanding partner.”
The renewed agreement has an initial contract length of five years, with two five-year extensions allowing it to last up to 15 years. A total of 239 NH90s across the three mentioned nations are covered by the contract. It means NHIndustries takes responsibility for the supply chain supporting the aircraft and consolidates maintenance schedules for the three fleets.
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