Spain to Acquire 23 NH90 Helicopters for $1.7 Billion

Spain has signed a contract with NH Industries, a consortium of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker to acquire 23 NH90 helicopters that include seven naval versions for an estimated $1.7 billion.

The Spanish government decided in September, at a Council of Ministers meeting, to allocate a budget of 1.5 billion euros (US $1.7 billion) for the purchase of 23 new NH90s (ten for the Army, six for the Air Force and seven for the Navy). The acquisition will cost Spain, 1.38 billion euros (US $1.6 billion) (excluding VAT), LA Tribune reported last Friday.

Spain had in 2006 planned to acquire 45 NH90 helicopters. Due to budgetary constraints at that time, it only bought 22 terrestrial version of the helicopter. These helicopters will replace the existing Super Puma (AS332) of the Army and the Air Force, while the naval fleet of Sikorsky S-60 used for tactical transport missions will be replaced.

In September this year, Spain also decided to upgrade its US heavy-duty helicopter CH-47D Chinook for € 819 million with deliveries marked between 2021 and 2025.