Shipbucket

The Norwegian government recently announced that they terminate it's contract for the NH90 helicopters, Norway will return all helicopters and are demanding full refund. So from yesterday all NH90 helicopters in the Norwegian military are not in us (grounded)


- The acquisition started in 2001, where the originally was slated that 15 helicopters was to be delivered end 2008, as of today, only 8 have been delivered!
- The Original demand was they was supposed to give about 5190 flight hours a year, it was then later adjusted to 3900, then 2100 and the last few years have only hold 700 flight hours a year!
- Chief of Defense, General Eirik Kristoffersen, says out of a tabell they use approx NOK 600.000,- (USD 62.000,-, EUR 60.000,-) per flight hour, and that before they calculate all other cost around it, like pilots finding new works, because they want to fly, etc.
- Totally the NH90 have been flying 7200 hours since 2011.

So from today the Norwegian Navy and coast-guard have no helicopters.



The only solution I see for me, is that Norway, jump on US Seahawk-helicopter programs, and start of with leasing helicopters from there, to cover the hole, with later on, get new helicopters. The Seahawk-helicopters have already been used by the US NAvy on one of the Norwegian frigate, without any big problems as I see it, except for some repainting of the flight deck to fit US-norm.

I recall them asking Sikorsky years ago if the SH-60S, or was it R-model? would be a suitable candidate. I guess now it's the only candidate. At least the Anglo-Italians are reliable enough when it comes to the Merlins that are currently replacing the Sea Kings. Even there there was a scandal, but on our side. Several hospitals have been rebuilt with platorms on the roofs for the helicopters to land on, but the Merlins can't legally land there since the rotorwash is too powerful. You see, the hospitals either aren't tall, or wide enough.

yeah the Merlin is to powerful for Norwegian hospital (layoute), other countries with large capacity helicopters, usually have a dedicated landing pad next to the hospital, then on the hospital.

The Merlin is also to large for the coast guard and Navy ships hangars.

Seahawk seems most likely.
Wildcat is probably too small, shame Leonardo doesn't have a mid-size naval type between Wildcat and Merlin.

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NH90 is under Leonardo now, those companies are working a little bit closer, and with the frustration Norway have on NH90 and the company, so I would think that Norway would have little interest in them. Norway did operate Lynx in the past, but they are old and to small

15? To my knowledge order was for 14 and to January 2021 Leonardo inform they delivered 11 to Norway and last 3 would be delivered in this year but that was pushed to next year or 2024.

And I really doubt they would remove them from service without any replacement in place, it would be not only dumb... that would be sabotage.

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

14, ok, probably just one website that I read hat a typo.

they have already taken them out of service. With no replacement, both the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Coast Guard, is effectively without helicopter. As the Government said, that when they announced cancel of the order, all NH90 is grounded with plans of sending them back. There have been talks about doing a combination of buying in and leasing from other companies, like the army do for low risk mission, in some cases.

In short term, they will probably leas helicopters. until then, operation that will not be covered by the Norwegian Navy, will probably temporary be taken over by NATO resources, after all, NATO have several military ships, traveling up and down the Norwegian coast from before. But effectively, the Norwegian Navy operation capability will be severely affected, some it already was from before, since due to the insane low flight hours on these helicopters, they used them almost only on the coast guard vessels, and extremely rarely on the frigates. That's why the Norwegian frigate that was in the meds, with a US-carrier operated with US helicopter


they got 11, but 6 of them was a temporary solution, 4 of them is sendt back for upgrade to the final version, that get us down to 7, some say we have 8!!

Deciding to take them out of service, even in that limited capability before they would be replace by different machine is the dumbest thing Norwegian MoD would do or did. And that by capital D.

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

YES. but the dumbest thing they ever did, was to keep going with the project that was supposed to be finished and delivered back in 2008 together with the frigates. But the government back then and even now, is detail control the military, and they have gone full prestige in, if it's modern, we need it... They even back then, said they was to have the most modern Navy in the world! (nice joke).

Every time military experts and other experts warn them about things, that will affect the military badly... the government will always go the opposite direction!



Like what they did with the Seabased Homeguard, they laid it down:

- was a unit that costed around NOK 80.000.000,- (USD 8.230.000,-, EUR 7.830.000,-) a year.
- 130 boats and some larger ships of various types (depends how you calculate it).
- 2000+- soldiers.
- local knowledge.
- Task of protecting harbors and gathering in local informations.
- was supposed to be replaced by 10-12 drones, but that was canceled due to cost.
- was laid down to use the money in the North....
- Russia often sails up and down the coast with ships that have several people onboard, sometimes a 1000 as a Norwegian Pilote experienced, when he was to guide a Russian ship into harbor. He was told by the captain, that he didn't need help, he had been here many times before... in submarine.



Reminds me about the prime minister that decided calculating out defense from BNP was stupid and pointless, but at the same time happily announced that we managed to hit 2% of BNP.... it was due to the Norwegian krones, value on the marked changed!

Since they haven't reached operational service yet(!), it's really no loss of capability.