Airbus Helicopters, as prime contractor will work together with Dresden-based Elbe Flugzeugwerke to maintain a substantial part of the German Armed Forces' (Bundeswehr's) NH90 fleet. Airbus and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed the corresponding ten-year support contract on August 27.
The services to be rendered at a fixed price under this contract comprise scheduled maintenance, 1,200 flight-hour inspections as well as on-demand repairs. Work will begin at Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth during the first quarter of 2020 and at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden in early 2021.
Dresden as the subcontractor will be the Bundeswehr's second major industrial centre alongside Donauwörth; the addition of this facility will greatly expand the Bundeswehr's capacities for maintaining its helicopters. The German Army currently has 74 NH90 TTH helicopters; all 82 will have been delivered by 2021. The German Navy will start to receive its 18 helicopters in October 2019 – the maintenance of these is also covered by the contract. The German Army's NH90s will be used as tactical transport helicopters (TTH), while the German Navy's NH90s will be used as naval transport helicopters (NTH) – this helicopter type will also be known as the Sea Lion.
