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ARCHIVES : NEWS 2004

28 December 2004
New Internet site for NH Industries

New Internet site for NHI ! At last...!
> www.nhindustries.com

21 October 2004
News of the Finnish NH90 (the first NH90 produced by Eurocopter France)

First photos (copyright Alexandre Dubath) of the Finnish NH90 (registration F-ZWTF), with painting ! The photos are in the new heading "Paparazzi" (in the menu "Photos")

05 October 2004
100 NH90 helicopters for the USA ?

A proposal would relate to more than 100 NH90 helicopters if the American government authorizes Eurocopter to be presented, with Northrop Grumman, an offer within the framework of the project Personal Recovery Vehicle.
(source : investir.fr)

15 September 2004
First flight of Italian Army NH90

Agusta, an AgustaWestland company, is pleased to announce that the first NH90 destined for the Italian Army took off for a successful maiden flight on September 15th at Agusta’s Vergiate plant. The flight was conducted by two test pilot and two flight engineers over 30 minutes, during which a speed of 120 knots was reached and the flight envelope of the basic aircraft was tested. Besides the 60 NH90 ordered by the Italian Army and the 56 ordered by the Italian Navy, Agusta will assemble at Vergiate plant also the 20 helicopters ordered by the Netherlands Navy and the 14 ordered by Norwegian Armed Forces.

15 September 2004
Maiden Flight of first Finnish NH90

>> Link to the news

31 August 2004
Australia chooses the MRH-90 (NH90) for its Army

(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Aug. 31, 2004) The Australian Army will be equipped with 12 new troop lift helicopters under a $1 billion project approved by the Howard Government, Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Robert Hill announced today. Senator Hill said the Government had selected Australian Aerospace to supply the new MRH-90 aircraft to form an additional troop lift helicopter squadron, subject to satisfactory conclusion of negotiations. This will bolster Australia’s counter-terrorism capabilities by releasing a Black Hawk squadron to provide dedicated support to our Special Forces on the east coast. “The MRH-90 is the new generation of multi-role helicopters, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a rear ramp that can be used to load small vehicles, a flexible cabin configuration, a full fly-by-wire flight control system and digital cockpit,” Senator Hill said. “The helicopter can carry up to 18 troops plus four crew or 4000kg of underslung cargo, cruises at up to 300kph and has a maximum range of over 900km. It is a fully marinised helicopter that is able to operate from the Royal Australian Navy’s current and future amphibious ships. “It is purpose-built for amphibious operations and includes extra corrosion protection, folding rotor blades and other enhancements to allow shipboard operations. This will give the Army an enhanced ability to move more soldiers further and faster from our amphibious lift ships, HMAS Kanimbla and Manoora, and their replacements. “The aircraft is certified for ditching and is designed to modern safety standards, including crashworthiness and tolerance to structural and system damage – offering excellent protection for our troops that will be conducting sea and land operations.” Senator Hill said the first helicopter for the new squadron at Townsville would be delivered in 2007, with all 12 aircraft expected to be delivered by 2008. “The new squadron will increase Army’s troop lift capability by more than half,” Senator Hill said. “This will allow the relocation of a squadron of Black Hawk helicopters to the Sydney area to support the ADF’s Special Forces, further strengthening the Howard Government’s commitment to fighting terrorism. “The Black Hawk squadron will be located near our Special Forces soldiers that are based at Holsworthy and will enhance mobility and training effectiveness for this critical capability. “The Howard Government has committed more than $1.3 billion to the Australian Defence Force to fight the war against terrorism since 11 September 2001. This project will mean our Special Forces are better equipped to respond swiftly to any terrorist threat or incident.” Senator Hill said the project would also provide a substantial boost for Australian industry. “The purchase of these new helicopters will include a support contract that may last for up to 20 years, and the overall Australian industry component of this project is expected to exceed $300 million,” Senator Hill said. “Benefits are expected to build on Australian Aerospace’s industry commitment developed as part of project AIR 87 and the delivery of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger. Opportunities for Australian industry are anticipated in helicopter assembly, common and similar aircraft systems, avionics equipment, structural and engine technologies and training systems.”
Thanks to Vincent PIRARD

Documents to be downloaded : Programme Air 9000 || MRH90

1st August 2004
NH90 on the prowl for more export orders (*) ( Interavia)

>> Link to the news
>> Link bis if the first link is out

* Thanks to Philippe JOLIBERT

24 July 2004
Sultanate of Oman Signs Purchase Agreement for 20 NH90 Helicopters

Muscat, July 24 (ONA)--- In implementation of the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs signed at his office at Mua'skar Bait Al-Falaj today an agreement with the French N.H.I Company to provide the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) with 20 NH90 Helicopters to replace some of current the RAFO Helicopters.
The general manager of the French company signed for his side.
The signing of the agreement came as part of the ongoing efforts to develop the SAF defence capabilities and train Omani cadres to keep abreast with the progress and development achieved by various crops.
As per the agreement, the French company will enter into joint development projects with the Omani side.
The signing ceremony was attended by Air Vice Marchal Yahya bin Rasheed al-Juma'ah, RAFO Commander, Brigadier Mohammed bin Saleem bin Nassir al-Mazidi, director-general of finance and accounts, Air Commodore Khalid bin Mohammed al-Sulaimi, director-general of procurements and contracts, the director of the project and representatives of the French company.
RAFO Commander extended thanks and appreciation of His Majesty the Sultan for his continued care to RAFO and his keenness to develop the corps capabilities and modernize its fleet.
He said the new aircraft will enhance the crops capabilities in carrying out its various missions and in supporting the Armed Forces and citizens in remote areas. ---Ends/a/k

18 July 2004
The NH90 at Farnborough 2004 Show from 19 to 25 July

Stand NHIndustries : Chalet Number K12
Static show : static display of the NH90

>> News May 2004

23 May 2004
Gerhard Schröder and his Minister of Defence, Dr. Peter Struck, at ILA 20044

>> Photo (© Klaus Trietz)

20 May 2004
Download the NH90 screensaver (in German, from German Army website)

>> nh90_desktop_1024x768 (image/pjpeg, 252.2 kB)
>> nh90_desktop_800x600 (image/pjpeg, 172.6 kB)
>> nh90_desktop_1280x1024 (image/pjpeg, 354.8 kB)

16 May 2004
Photo of TGEA01 HEER (First production NH90) at ILA 2004

>>
(Free use of the photo - source : ILA 2004)

>> All the photos of the NH90 HEER

12 May 2004
A New Step Forward for the In-Service Support for Germany
(Source: NH Industries; issued May 12, 2004)

AIX EN PROVENCE, France --- NHIndustries is pleased to announce that yesterday, on the 11th of May at ILA Berlin Airshow 2004, the Contractor Logistic Support (CLS) contract for Germany has been signed by the NAHEMA General Manager General P. Finocchio and the NHI General Manager G. Maitrepierre.

This contract represents an additional step in the completion of the NH90 programme, by providing a support to the German Customer for its NH90 fleet during the first 3 years of operation.

According to this contract Industry will provide all necessary services and spare parts in order to maintain in operational conditions the relevant German Army and German Air Force NH90 helicopters.

This type of services has already been contracted by Italy, Norway and Sweden. -ends-

(Thanks -again ! - to Vincent Pirard ;-) )

11 May 2004
First Production NH90 Presented at ILA 2004 in Berlin

(Source: Eurocopter; issued May 11, 2004) BERLIN (ILA 2004) --- Eurocopter and its partner companies in the NHIndustries consortium, Agusta and Stork Fokker, are proud to announce that the first serial NH90 helicopter to come off the Eurocopter production line in Germany is publicly presented at the ILA Berlin Air Show on May 11th.

The aircraft performed its maiden flight last week on May 4th at Eurocopter's Donauwörth facility in Germany. In the expert hands of Herbert Graser, Manfred Kuck (Test Pilots) and Laurent Palcy (Flight Test Engineer), the aircraft designated "TGEA01" flew 2 hours and 5 minutes, thus demonstrating the high degree of proficiency and mastery of the NH90 programme.

This event comes precisely four years after the official production go-ahead was given at ILA 2000 and is commemorated in a ceremony attended by the German Minister of Defence, Dr. Peter Struck, a large number of international, high-ranking government and military officials as well as industry and media representatives. Launch customer for this latest-technology, medium-size class helicopter will be the German Bundeswehr. Based on the contracts signed by NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency), representing France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and The Netherlands, and NHIndustries, Eurocopter (62.5%), Agusta (32%) and Stork Fokker (5.5%) have jointly developed and are currently producing the NH90 tactical transport and naval helicopters.

NH90 is the biggest helicopter programme ever launched in Europe, with firm orders for presently 325 units and options for a further 86. By country, the order status is: 27 units on order by France; 80 units on order plus 54 on option by Germany; 116 units on order plus 1 on option by Italy; 20 units on order by the Netherlands; 10 units on order by Portugal; 20 units on order by Finland; 14 units on order plus 10 on option by Norway; 18 units on order plus 7 on option by Sweden; and 20 units on order plus 14 on option by Greece.

Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO of Eurocopter, emphasized the immense importance of the programme to the European industry. "NH90 is taking us into the top league of international military suppliers in a market previously dominated by U.S. manufacturers. Not only by the orders and options placed by the participating nations, but also by winning export competitions, which all together make it the biggest unit order ever placed for one single helicopter type in Europe. The NH90 is the most advanced and capable helicopter in its class worldwide, opening up excellent export opportunities for us."

The NH90 has been designed from the outset as a multi-role weapons system. The tactical transport (TTH) and naval (NFH) 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 given to 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.

Due to its inherent multi-mission capability, the NH90 will greatly enhance interoperability of the European armed forces in NATO and United Nations missions, contribute to the standardization of equipment and to the rationalization of costs, training and logistics.

Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2003, EADS generated revenues of 30.1 billion euros and employed a workforce of about 109,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second-largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo. -ends-

>>Direct Link to

(thanks to Vincent Pirard ;-) )

>> News April 2004

22 April 2004 (news Flight International - February 2004)
NH Industries pushes NH90 sales in Japan

15 April 2004
NH90 favored for New Zealand helicopter project

>> News March 2004

15 March 2004
Goodrich Fly-By-Wire Technology on Board Eurocopter's NH90 First Flight

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- - First Helicopter to Have No Mechanical Links Between the Pilot Controls and the Main and Tail Rotor Actuators.

Recently, Eurocopter successfully completed the first flight of its new European military helicopter, the NH90, with Goodrich Corporation's (NYSE: GR) Actuation Systems' all electric flight controls or "Fly-By-Wire" (FBW) technology on board.

According to Jean-Guy Mutez, Goodrich Business Development Director for Helicopters, "Goodrich is the main supplier of the servo-controls to Eurocopter France and it is proud to have participated in the development of the Fly-By-Wire system, which is a real technical innovation in the rotorcraft market."

The flight controls were designed and developed in partnership between Goodrich Actuation Systems' facility at Buc, France and Liebherr Aerospace of Lindenberg, Germany (prime contractor to Eurocopter for this flight control system). The main rotor actuator makes use of a Direct Drive Valve technology developed by Goodrich.

The Full Authority Quadruplex FBW System presents many advantages. For the first time on a helicopter there are no mechanical links between the pilot controls and the main and tail rotor actuators. The FBW technology increases the manoeuvrability of the aircraft and also reduces the pilot's workload. It also enables manufacturers such as Eurocopter to significantly reduce the weight of the helicopter -- thanks to simplified mechanical parts and fewer hydraulic blocks.

Production deliveries for the NH90 helicopter commence later this year. Currently 302 helicopters are planned by 2010 with 340 already on firm order by the European armed forces and a further 72 on option.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defence industry. If there's an aircraft in the sky - we're on it. Goodrich technology is involved in making aircraft fly...helping them land...and keeping them safe. Serving a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities, Goodrich is one of the largest aerospace companies in the world.

For more information visit http://www.goodrich.com.

>> News 2004 : January 2004

22 January 2004
NHI Selects CAE and Thales for NH90 Training Program

(Source: CAE; issued Jan. 21, 2004)
MONTREAL --- NHIndustries (NHI) has selected the CAE-Thales Training & Simulation team as the preferred bidder to provide a range of NH90 helicopter training systems throughout Europe in a program valued at approximately 400 million euros (C$650 million).

NHI is managing procurement of the NH90 training systems for the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) and the Nordic Standard Helicopter Program (NSHP).

NAHEMA represents the governments Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Portugal while NSHP represents Norway, Sweden, and Finland. All eight countries are procuring variants of the NH90 helicopter.

CAE and Thales Training & Simulation are establishing a joint venture company to serve as prime contractor and design authority for managing and delivering the NH90 training program to NHI and the eight nations. The CAE-Thales Training & Simulation company, working closely with Rheinmetall Defence Electronics (RDE) as a key subcontractor in Germany, will subcontract work to CAE GmbH, Thales Training & Simulation, RDE, Rotorsim, Saab, and other local companies to achieve national work share obligations for development and production.

Contract negotiations between NHI and the CAE-Thales Training & Simulation team have begun and should be completed in 2004.

“The NH90 is the largest helicopter program ever launched in Europe, and there is a significant and long-term training requirement for the defense forces who will operate this new aircraft,” said Donald W. Campbell, group president, military simulation and training, CAE. “We’re pleased NHI has selected the CAE-Thales Training & Simulation team to lead development of the NH90 training media.”

The NHI NH90 training program will include the design and production of full flight simulators, fixed base simulators, rear crew trainers, tactical procedures trainers, cockpit procedures trainers, and virtual maintenance trainers. These training devices will be deployed at various sites in the NAHEMA and NSHP nations.

CAE is a leading provider of integrated training solutions and advanced simulation and controls technologies to military, civil aviation and marine customers. The company generates annual revenues in excess of C$1 billion and employs about 6,000 people in Canada, the United States and around the globe.

-ends-

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