Overview
- Airbus Helicopters, on behalf of NHIndustries, handed over the first maritime combat helicopter during a Dec. 16 ceremony at the Nordholz naval air base.
- Germany has a 31-aircraft order scheduled for completion by 2030, and the manufacturer signaled additional airframes could follow shortly.
- The Sea Tiger is configured for anti-submarine and anti-surface missions and will progressively replace the aging Mk88A Sea Lynx fleet.
- The variant adds a dipping sonar, sonobuoys, a new electro-optical system and enhanced electronic support measures, and it is cleared for MBDA MARTE ER missiles, MU90 torpedoes and M3M guns.
- Following qualification trials in the Mediterranean and North Sea, at-sea embarkation and operational test and evaluation are planned to start next year.