Dutch NH90s: honing the system
In 2000 a production contract was signed by the Dutch MoD for 20 NH90 NFH (NATO Frigate Helicopter) maritime helicopters, to replace the aging fleet of Westland Lynx helicopters that the Royal Netherlands Navy was using since 1976.
The NH90 was developed and manufactured by NH Industries, a collaborative company owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker Aerostructures. The first prototype made its maiden flight in December 1995 and the type first entered operational service in 2007. In 2010, The Netherlands became the first country to receive the NFH variant.
The NH90 concept arose from the idea of developing a joint NATO helicopter and the Netherlands is a lead nation in the project, together with France.
All 20 Dutch NH90s are stationed at the De Kooy Naval Air Station. There are two squadrons, 7 Squadron for training, and 860 Squadron which is the operational NH90 Squadron. Both squadrons are part of the Defence Helicopter Command ( DHC) which has both air force and navy personnel.
In our interview with 860 Squadron Commander Niels Kleingeld and Captains Gerwin and Thijs, the CO stated, “We
look at the importance of deployments and of course, the Dutch Navy wants to have a helicopter to perform operations in the Dutch Caribbean and for anti-piracy missions as also in preparation of ships to prepare for the mission area.”
To operate the NH90, composition of the crew varies. Besides the pilot and copilot, there are various other tasks to be fulfilled. For tactical operations, there is need to take care of the situation and also coordinate with the ship. This is done by a tactical coordinator (TACCO), based on orders received from the ship which are passed on to DHC.
The sensor operators play a very important role, especially in maritime warfare conditions. There are two sensor consoles at the back used by one or two operators, depending on the mission. Explaining the upgradation, Commander Kleingeld stated, “At the very beginning,
we flew with one sensor operator, who had to operate the radar, sonar, FLIR, electronic warfare, sonar buoys and uplink but the task load was too high for one sensor operator, so we are now in the process of doubling the sensor operators.”
Mission essential crew for counter piracy and anti drug operations include a Rescue Operator Aerial Marksman (ROAM) trained to perform such tasks. He also operates the sniper gun for multiple purposes and is also trained as a rescue operator. During Search and Rescue action, he goes down first to ensure that the patient is secured on the stretcher; and is accompanied by a doctor who provides medical assistance.
Commander Kleingeld stated, “All kinds of data are shared, varying from maintenance data to various procedures, how to deal with sensors, how to set up sensors, how to get the most out of the radar.” There is also an extensive cooperation with the Belgians since the spare parts are shared which reduces costs as the Belgian Navy operates the same variant of the NH90.
As there are different versions of the NH90, it makes sharing and updating difficult. Since there are various options, for example, with sensors one could choose from a German, French or Italian version.
The N5 version which The Netherlands has purchased can be used in either role, combat or transport. Twelve NH90 helicopters were inducted as NATO Frigate Helicopters (NFH) equipped with all necessary system to carry out maritime combat tasks. Eight helicopters are used as Tactical NATO Frigate Helicopters ( TNFH) and as a tactical transport helicopters, used both on land and at sea. For the transport task, systems such as the sonar and control station of the sensor operator have been removed to provide additional space and also to reduce the weight of the helicopter.
In describing some of the vital tasks of the NH90, Commander Kleingeld stated, “One of these is surface warfare, the NH90 being perfectly suited to perform reconnaissance at sea, to protect trading routes and to perform anti-piracy operations. We can execute anti-submarine warfare by mapping the underwater areas. Other tasks we carry out with the NH90 are counter drugs operations in the Caribbean, SAR missions, fast- roping and carrying external and internal loads or troops. It is a multi-role helicopter which can be used for various missions, depending on the requirement of the assignment.”
Twice a year, an exercise anti-submarine warfare is held at RNAS Culdrose in the United Kingdom. The NH90 helicopter is equipped with a long- range active sonar (HELRAS), but can also work in combination with sonar buoys. Besides the HELRAS, the NH90 has an inverse synthetic aperture radar ( ISAR) with which the crew can monitor activities both over and under water. Apart from that, the thermal imaging equipment (FLIR) provides an additional provision to perform various tasks during hostile conditions. FLIR can also visually identify the targets found at great distances with the radar.
The NH90 is armed with a MAG or M3M machine gun and there is also provision to carry torpedoes. Speaking about the future, Kleingeld stated, “We presently have the Mk46 torpedo but it is at the end of its lifespan so we are planning to replace it with modernised version by 2021.” The Dutch Navy are also exploring a possibility of equipping the helicopter with an air-to-surface missile, “Being an extended arm of the ship, we must also equip our armoury with the missile that can be carried by a helicopter to destroy surface targets.” The NH90 has provisions for a Marte anti-ship missile, but the Norwegians have already tested the Naval Strike Missile with the NH90.