NH90 Block 2: Airbus and Leonardo Dive into Studies
Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo are collaborating on an architectural study to lay the groundwork for the long-term evolution of the NH90 helicopter, referred to as Block 2. This initiative comes in response to a request from the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA).
The Block 2 upgrade will introduce essential structural enhancements, including modular avionics, increased configuration commonality, and improvements in maintenance and performance. Additionally, it will incorporate new capabilities in collaborative combat, connectivity, and crewed-uncrewed teamwork.
The study is expected to be contracted with NAHEMA before the end of the year, enabling nations to determine the next steps for the Block 2 evolution in alignment with ongoing studies on next-generation capabilities and technologies.
“There are several studies running at the moment at NATO, EU, and national levels to assess the future of military helicopters,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“Together with Leonardo we believe that the NH90 will have a central role to play in the future of European defence 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,” he added.
“The NH90 Block 2 study clearly complements on the longer term the evolution roadmap of the NH90 for which a major step based on the Software Release 3 contract (also called Block1) had already been outlined last year,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters.
“We’re committed to delivering a study able to meet NAHEMA’s expectations as well as bearing in mind Nations’ needs and their evolving rotorcraft capability requirements,” he concludes.
In May 2024, NAHEMA and NHIndustries (NHI) signed a short-to-medium-term program enhancement plan known as Block 1 (also referred to as Software Release 3). This initiative involves various nations and aims to enhance the capabilities of their in-service fleets in areas such as tactical information, data exchange, sensors, navigation, and weapon integration. The Block 2 architecture study will build upon the improvements made in the Block 1 upgrade.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024 further strengthens the collaboration between the two manufacturers. This agreement aims to conduct an extensive analysis of the NH90 helicopter program’s status and explore potential solutions for its future evolution.
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