New Zealand’s NH90 Line Updated

The Wellington Ministry of Defence announced that the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s NH90 helicopter fleet has been successfully updated by the Deeper Maintenance team of the New Zealand Defence Force at the RNZAF base in Ohakea, rather than in Europe as originally planned.

Following this operation, the entire upgrade project of the eight service helicopters was completed in just four weeks, allowing the NH90s to integrate better into New Zealand’s controlled airspace.

In addition, the Ministry of Defence acquired the equipment of a retired Australian Defence Force NH90, enabling changes to the New Zealand fleet without interrupting operations.

Among the benefits of the update is the ability to identify the NH90 as friendly aircraft using a modern identification system (IFF), improving cooperation with Coalition forces.

The NH90 helicopter update includes secure communications between aircraft in combat environments and compliance with New Zealand civil aviation regulations on ADS-B OUT transmissions.

The new software allows the NH90s to automatically hold the hovering position until landing, improving visibility in ‘brownout’ conditions and increasing safety for activities such as the Special Forces’ water entry.

The contract for the software renewal highlights the importance of safety in the use of the NH90s, ten years old.

New Zealand was the first nation to equip the entire NH90 fleet with the new software, opening to the possibility of further updates to improve communication and navigation functions, enabling more efficient operations in airways reserved for civilian air traffic.

Source and photo credit @Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)