The last of 18 NH-90 Sea Lion naval multi-role transport helicopters were delivered to the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) in Donauwörth on January 26, 2023. The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology, and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) commissioned the delivery to the Navy in 2015.
The Naval Transport Helicopter (NTH) variant of the NH90 is the Sea Lion. It has been in service since 2018, replacing the Mk41 Sea King helicopter, which has been in service for nearly 50 years. Germany had intended to replace both its Westland Sea King
Mk 41s and its smaller Westland Lynx Mk 88s with a single multi-role embarked
helicopter, but the combined requirement for 30 of these helicopters was deemed
unaffordable.
After the final aircraft is delivered, the new, cutting-edge helicopter is expected to take over the Search and Rescue (SAR) service in mid-2023, initially in parallel operation. Furthermore, like the Sea King before it, the Sea Lion serves as a primary military transport for material or people. And, thanks to its advanced sensors, it can also be used for reconnaissance, contributing significantly to situational awareness.The NHIndustries NH90 is a twin-engine, medium-sized multi-role military helicopter. It was created in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter that could also operate in naval environments. The NH90 was designed and built by NHIndustries, a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland), and Fokker Aerostructures. The NH-90 programme is based on the requirements agreed upon by Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands when they established the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) in 1992. The procurement of the NH-90 product family is based on a development and procurement contract signed in 2000 between NAHEMA and the industrial consortium NH Industries. The project management organisation for the NH-90 weapon system is based in the BAAINBw"s Group L8 of the Air Department. It is thus in charge of developing, procuring and using all NH-90s in the German Armed Forces, both Army and Navy.
