NHIndustries inks NH90 Block 2 architecture study contract

April 21, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The NATO agency in charge of the NH90 program, NAHEMA, has signed a contract with NHIndustries, a consortium between Airbus, Leonardo, and GKN Aerospace, to launch the NH90 Block 2 architecture study.

As disclosed, this two-year architecture study will ensure industrial continuity by building upon the achievements of the Block 1 program while evolving the platform for the 2040+ operational environment.

Guided by high-level requirements defined by NAHEMA and the participating nations, the study will run in parallel with the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) initiatives.

The goal of the architecture study is to deliver the critical technical outputs necessary for NAHEMA and the nations to evaluate and select the upgrade design options that best align with their long-term sovereign capability needs.

Specifically, the Block 2 upgrade will include key structural improvements to the aircraft, such as modular avionics, greater configuration commonality, improved maintenance and performance, as well as new capabilities in the fields of collaborative combat, connectivity, and crewed-uncrewed teaming.

NHI and NAHEMA launch NH90 comprehensive upgrade program

Research & Development

Matthieu Louvot, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said that the NH90 had recently reached 500,000 flight hours, which he described as a testament to its maturity, operational relevance, and continuously upgraded capabilities.

He noted that the Sea Tiger and the NH90 Standard 2 were establishing themselves as benchmarks for naval and tactical operations, and added that preparations were already underway for the midterm evolution of the NH90 through the Block 1 upgrade.

Louvot further stated that the signing of the Block 2 contract marked a decisive step in ensuring the NH90 would remain at the forefront of European defence for decades to come. He also emphasized that as NATO and its member nations defined the future of vertical lift, Airbus and its partners were committed to evolving the proven platform to meet the most demanding operational challenges of the future battlespace.