Industry team opens first NH90 training centre

By Craig Hoyle

German army training activities with the NH Industries NH90 tactical transport helicopter have been boosted by the 15 January opening of its first of three training centres for the type.

Delivered by the Helicopter Flight Training Services (HFTS) consortium at a site adjacent to the army's aviation school at Bückeberg, the new facility is equipped with one full-mission simulator (below) for the 10t-class NH90. The German army received its first three NH90s in December 2006 under a deal to acquire 80 examples.

Built under the terms of a private finance initiative deal worth €488 million ($643 million), the training centre will be followed by similar infrastructure in Fassberg and Holzdorf.

The deal with HFTS, which is formed of CAE, Eurocopter, Rheinmetall Defence Electronics and Thales, will deliver training services on the NH90 (below) through 2022, and deliver an eventual four full-mission simulators.

Meanwhile, HFTS managing director Robert Hollensteiner reveals that the consortium has secured its first two overseas customers. "Finland and Sweden have decided to also train their NH90 pilots at the HFTS simulator facilities," he says. The Scandinavian nations have ordered 20 and 14 of the aircraft, respectively.