Rheinmetall to Supply Digital Classroom for the German Navy’s New NH90 NTH Sea Lion Helos

The European NH90 procurement and management organization, NAHEMA, has contracted Rheinmetall for an Asterion classroom solution destined for Naval Air Wing 3 at Nordholz on the North Sea coast.

The deal was awarded to the company last month. Delivery will take place later this year.

The digital Asterion classroom will be used to train maintenance personnel for the NH90 NTH Sea Lion naval transport helicopter. The system features a soft panel cockpit in which the instruments are depicted by touchscreens, coupled with a mission control console necessary for naval helicopter training. The package also includes Asterion software, desktop hardware and tablets.

Asterion is a modern, integrated, holistic training concept for all phases of training. It simulates the behaviour of the helicopter’s full panoply of functions, including its hydraulic, electric and tactical systems.

A similar form of Asterion simulation software has already been integrated into the functional cockpit of the NH90 NTH Maintenance Training Rig, which is used to train maintenance personnel assigned to Naval Air Wing 5. The German Army also uses Asterion simulation technology in its ground crew training systems at the International Helicopter Training Centre at Faßberg in Lower Saxony. Here, Army Aviation maintenance and repair specialists are trained in operational and maintenance procedures in Rheinmetall-made cockpits, each a perfect replica of the ground forces version of the NH90.

Meanwhile, the German Navy has taken delivery of the first NH90 NTH Sea Lion multipurpose helicopters, whose maintenance crews will soon be undergoing comprehensive training in Rheinmetall simulators.