The Swedes: Why did they purchase the Blackhawk? Troop transport in Afghanistan. I reckon a frigate helicopter or land-based ASW-helicopter is not used for that intent and theatre. The Blackhawk is used in a completely different role than the NH90 was ever intended to do.
The Danes: What do you do when you have waited a little too long with upgrading your existing platform? Right, buy it off the shelve.
Believe me, and I am a bit biased (I know), but we try to compare helicopters here. Purchasing an aircraft is left to the policymakers. Hence, they do not always approach the procurement rationally and progressively, but more or less what seems right at that particular moment considering the temperature of the political arena.
Nevertheless, I do believe that Merlin, NH90 and Seahawk Romeo models are all very capable helicopters. We must not forget that they all operate in their niche market. None of these is comparable; however, we do try to convince ourselves that they are. In my honest opinion, moving from a Lynx/Seaking to an NFH90 or Merlin I call progression/upgrade (Belgians, British, Germans, Dutch, French, Italians, Swedes, Norwegians), moving from a Lynx to another Lynx or Seahawk Romeo is maintaining status quo (Danes and also the British). I have operated alongside all of these platforms quite recently, and only the NFH90 and Merlin did where they were designed for - proper ASuW/ASW.
On a less serious note, I continue to invite you both to start an enterprise with me focussing on NH90 spare-parts.
