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World
Naval Forces News - France |
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| French
Navy NH90 NFH (Nato Frigate Helicopter) "Caïman" enters
operational service |
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On
December 8, 2011, on the the Lanvéoc Poulmic (Brittany) naval
air station (NAS), the operational implementation of the NH90 helicopter
was made official. The new and inovative helicopter is now in service
and represents a profound change of the air component of the French
Navy.
The helicopter, which the program was launched in the 90ies (hence its
name: NH 90) is a twin-engine helicopter for military transport in the
10 tons class. Six nations participate in the program: Germany, Belgium,
France, Italy, Netherlands and Portugal. It is managed by NATO on the
State side(NATO Helicopter Management Agency, or NAHEMA) and by NH Industries
(NHI) on the industrial side, comprising four manufacturers (Agusta-Westland
of Italy, EADS / Eurocopter in France, EADS / Eurocopter Deutschland
for Germany, Fokker-Stork, for the Netherlands). Each company provides
design and manufacture for a section of the unit.
The French Navy should take delivery of 27 "Caïman" by
2020. Currently, five have been delivered to "standard 1".
13 of them will be delivered with a rear loading ramp. Equiped with
all necessary equipment for a shipborne combat helicopter the 27 French
Navy NH90 will be able to be fitted with an anti-submarine kit (14 of
such kits have been ordered so far.)
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French Navy
commando rappelling down from the brand new NH90 Caïman helicotper
(picture: EMA/French Navy)
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They will be based
at NAS Hyères (French Riviera), at NAS Lanvéoc (Brittany),
including one detached to Cherbourg (Normandy). This type of helicopter
will be embedded permanently on air defense frigates (Forbin and Chevalier
Paul) and the multimission frigates (FREMM). Depending on mission requirement
Caïman helicopter may occasionally be embedded on the French Navy
aircraft carrier, LHDs (Mistral class) or LPDs.
The name "Caïman" (Cayman) was chosen in consultation with
the French Army. It evokes the amphibian environment in which the Cayman
lives and the animal expected qualities: ability to blend into the environment,
to observe and release a large amount of energy when needed to provide
the desired military effect. |
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The new NH90
NFH Caïman helicotper at French Navy's Lanvéoc Poulmic Naval
Air Station
(picture: EMA/French Navy)
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The NH90
Caïman in flight
(video:
EMA/French Navy)
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Missions conducted
by the Caïman and its crew are threefold:
- Naval combat(engaging surface threats, control of the underwater space
and fight against submarines)
- Tasks related to the action of the French State at sea (search and rescue,
medical evacuation,fight against maritime terrorism)
- Support missions: search and rescue at sea, medical evacuation, naval
logistics.
It is intended to replace:
- The Super-Frelon in SAR and anti maritime terrorism missions
- The Lynx in anti-ship and anti-submarine missions |
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French Navy
NH90 NFH Caïman helicotper
(picture:
EMA/French Navy)
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French Navy NH90
have many technological innovations thourgh the use of composite materials
in terms of structure and integration of modular systems using digital
technology. First full scale production helicopter sporting fly by
wire controls, it has great maneuverability which ensures missions
capability day and night even in very bad weather. It can therefore
be launched and recovered from ships even in heavy seas.
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