The Ministry of Defence is leading a project to deliver a new navigation system for the NH90 helicopter that fully complies with updated Civil Aviation Authority requirements, and complete an upgrade to the NH90 fleet’s encrypted radios.
A contract has been signed with NATO Helicopter Industries (NH Industries) covering both hardware and software upgrades and the company will be undertaking the hardware modifications in New Zealand – the first time the company, in partnership with Airbus NZ, has undertaken this work locally.
“New Zealand is the first country which uses the NH90 helicopter that will undertake the work to retrofit the navigation system and upgrade the secure communication system. We’ll also be working with sub-contractor Airbus Australia Pacific (AAP) who will test and qualify the upgrade using the NH90 software test rig located in Brisbane, Australia,” Frank Dyer, Integrated Project Team Leader at the Ministry of Defence said.
This work is the next phase of the Operational and Regulatory Aviation Compliance Sustainment (ORACS) project. The upgrades are expected to be complete by 2030.
Read more about the ORACS Project.
Pictured above: Axel Aloccio, President of NH Industries and Frank Dyer, ORACS Integrated Project Team Leader, with members of Airbus, Airbus Australia Pacific (software subcontractor) and ORACS project team at the contract commencement meeting in the Airbus facility, Marignane France.
