NH90 to Soon Equip Hellenic Armed Forces
Athens, 03 October 2006
Eurocopter may be allowed to deliver to the Hellenic Armed Forces their first NH90 helicopters in the coming months. The contract signature for the acquisition of 20 NH 90 helicopters plus 14 options for the Hellenic Army took place on August 29, 2003, in Athens.
The 20 NH90 firm order, worth close to 657 million euros, includes 16 Tactical Transport variants and 4 Special Operations variants to be delivered over the next few years and to be operated by the Hellenic Army. All helicopters can be converted into Medevac variant with 4 ordered roll change medical kits. The 14 options are composed of 12 tactical transport and 2 special operation variants.
All the NH90 to be operated by the Hellenic Armed Forces are equipped with Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01/9 engines.
The deal also includes a series of offset benefits outlined in a November 2004 Letter of Intent signed by the Greek government and EADS, the parent company of Eurocopter. Part of this agreement is the creation of a Composite Facility at Tanagra, to be operated by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), which broke ground in February this year. Sixteen of Greece’s NH90s will be operated by the Army Aviation and four NH90s will service the needs of the Special Operation Forces (SOF). The first Hellenic serial production NH 90 flew for the first time in July 2005.
The NH90 program, led by Eurocopter, now totals 400 firm orders confirming its status of biggest helicopter program ever launched by Europe. The NH90 has been ordered by 12 countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Oman, Australia and New-Zealand. Due to its multi-role capability, the NH90 is able to fulfil a large variety of missions and has been selected for Army, Air Force, Navy and SAR services.
NHIndustries is a company owned by Eurocopter (62,5%), Agusta (32%) and Stork Fokker (5,5%).
About Eurocopter:
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 13,000 people. In 2005, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 3.2 billion euros, orders for 401 new helicopters, and a 52 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 16 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 9,500 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,500 customers in 139 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.
For more information, please contact:
Jean Louis ESPES
Eurocopter
mailto: jean-louis.espes@eurocopter.com
Christina GOTZHEIN
Eurocopter
mailto: christina.gotzhein@eurocopter.com
Cécile VION-LANCTUIT
Eurocopter
mailto: cecile.vion-lanctuit@eurocopter.com
Christopher BACH
Eurocopter
mailto: christopher.bach@eurocopter.com
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