First German NH90 Sea Lion delivered
 

Airbus Helicopters hands over the first NH90 Sea Lion to the Bundeswehr , for use in their Marineflieger

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/pres...ed-forces.html

See if the German Navy has as much fun with the NH-90 as the Netherlands and Norway......

The first one didn't fare too well in the initial shipborne trials as I seem to recall?

It "only" got handed over to BAAINBw, the german MOD's procurement agency, for testing and certification, not to Bundeswehr itself yet.

I have seen promising results from the Dutchies, deployments ranging from the Caribbean to NATO-led mission in the past years. As I recall, the machine is hugely successful in its counter drugs operations in the Caribbean. Hence, the sophisticated autopilot, that a USCG Dauphin or British Lynx is lacking enables good night operability. During the NATO missions, they frequently deployed with a full ASW kit.
The Nordmenn, on the other hand. It's not only their NH-90 but also their SAR Merlin. It seems that they are great in introducing electrical driving, but implementing helicopters, on the contrary, is a task which the Norwegians does not seem fit for.

On topic: I believe the Germans have made the right bet this time. This NFH is incomparable with the TTH. Therefore, I do not expect significant challenges in implementing the type. Nonetheless, if I had the money, I would invest in a company producing NH-90 spare parts. That still seems to be an issue for every nation participating in the project.

A programme summary. https://www.helicopter-industry.com/...able-platform/

I'm not really up to speed on the corrosion issues mentioned in the above article, but a bit more on here. https://www.helicopter-industry.com/...able-platform/

And more generally across the entire French military helicopter fleet. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017...-on-the-fleet/

What are the current NH-90 availability rates and the State of the Platform?

It should have had time to mature. The next german navy version will be the "Sea Tiger" as a (bigger) Lynx successor standard equipped with torpedoes and sonar and afterwards possibly some special forces version for KSK. German navy is upsizing it's helo decks at the same time with new vessels and older smaller ones being retired.

NH as in "No Hope"?

I have seen parts of the production line and it is just a neverending "jobs for the boys". Even the slightest change or improvement takes literally years to implement.

45-50,000,000.00 EUR a piece?

That's nothing compared to the 270.000.000+ the Canadians are paying for each of their CH-148.
Now that's expensive!

If this was a dog it would have died of natural causes long ago...

It's absurd to keep that going. The swedes and danes did it right with the Blackhawk/Seahawk series.

Norway seem to be getting along on the AW101 now, Mostly training problems for them now.

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. ;)

Also w.r.t replacement of the Sea Lynx Mk 88, L-M offered Romeo Hawk, Leoanrdo offered AW159 (pair of Wildcat assigned to one of their frigates in 2016/2017).

As of now it be one single platform replacing two.

Laughingly looking at alternate universe, what if we bought the SH-60B/F or Romeo Hawk... instead of Merlin....food for thought..

cheers

New NH 90 stays on ground