Swedish NH90 Interim Variant Upgrade Nearly Complete

Swedish Defense Materiel Agency (FMV), May 11, 2023 - In April, another “Helikopter 14” of the TTH variant was delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces and the helicopter wing in Luleå as part of the Retrofit project.

Several Helikopter 14s are being modified to achieve full capability and equipment level.

"With this delivery, we are proud to contribute to further strengthening capability and availability in the north," says Lena Matz, project manager for Helikopter 14 at FMV.

FMV has previously delivered 18 Helikopter 14s to the Swedish Armed Forces, of which 11 are interim variants. These eleven already have or will undergo upgrades to the final configuration, which will give the helicopters full capability according to the Swedish Armed Forces' order.

Before they are delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces, the helicopters undergo a delivery inspection by FMV. This means that specialists from FMV and the Swedish Armed Forces inspect that they are built in line with the contract and that all documentation is correct.

This is a process that takes several weeks to complete and requires test flights by FMV's Test and Evaluation division. This ensures that technical requirements are met and that the equipment meets the needs of the Swedish Armed Forces.

After the latest delivery, four modified Helikopter 14s remain to be delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces : two ground operational helicopters will land in Luleå and two of the naval variant will be delivered to the helicopter squadron in Ronneby. These are currently undergoing modifications by industry in Finland and France and are expected to be delivered to FMV in 2023 and 2024.

Hkp 14

Helikopter 14 (Hkp 14) is the Swedish designation for NH90 from NATO Helicopter Industries, NHI. It was developed through a European cooperation project and has been ordered by 14 countries and delivered in over 500 units.

The system should be able to handle various missions, both within and outside the country, over sea and land, in winter climates and desert environments. It is possible to equip Hkp 14 with many different types of equipment depending on the mission.

NH90 is also the first system to be built in composite material and with fly-by-wire technology. This means that it is computer-controlled, as opposed to conventional helicopters where the control is mechanical.