Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to France, the first version of the transport helicopter developed specifically for special operations.
The helicopter was handed over to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) and will enter service with the French Army Aviation's special forces squadron in Pau. France has ordered 18 NH90 Standard 2 helicopters, with deliveries scheduled through mid-2029.
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The delivery marks a positive development for the NH90, one of Europe's largest defense programs. The helicopter has struggled with technical issues, low fleet availability and long delivery delays for years, prompting criticism from several operators.
Norway became the most prominent customer to abandon the aircraft in 2022. The government concluded the NH90 would not meet operational requirements for the Royal Norwegian Navy and Coast Guard. NHIndustries and Norway reached a settlement in 2025 that returned the fleet to the manufacturer and ended a lengthy contractual dispute.
The program has shown signs of improvement over the past two years. Spain ordered 31 NH90 Standard 2 helicopters in December 2025, becoming the second customer for the configuration. Airbus and NHIndustries have also expanded logistics support, increased the supply of spare parts and worked to improve fleet availability.
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According to Airbus, the Standard 2 adds a Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, a new digital map generator, provisions for a third crew member and enlarged sliding windows that can accommodate defensive machine guns.
Future upgrades will include the Direct Aperture System (DAS), designed to improve visibility in degraded weather and low-visibility environments, along with a fully digital Thales TopOwl helmet capable of displaying DAS and electro-optical imagery.
The NH90 Standard 2 was launched under a 2020 contract awarded by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) to NHIndustries, the consortium owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and GKN Fokker.
