Eurocopter unveils NH90 MedEvac variant at ILA Berlin Air Show

Eurocopter will be presenting an NH90 in the Forward Air MedEvac (Medical Evacuation) configuration for the first time at ILA 2010 in Berlin.

Designed to meet the future needs of the German Armed Forces, this configuration of the world's most advanced multirole military helicopter is the company's response to an initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Defence to increase availability of protected NH90 transport capability for wounded personnel. The requirement amounts to twelve helicopters.

The main goal of this retrofit measure is to enable NH90 operators to carry out missions over any terrain, day or night, under all weather and visual flight conditions, irrespective of the threat scenario. Eurocopter ensures that the proposed solution fully meets the military's operational requirements and that the project can be completed within 20 months.

To reduce the approval procedure to a minimum, part of the development work originally planned for the Final Operational Configuration (FOC) NH90 has been moved forward, including the MG-3 parts kit and anti-ballistic protection.

Already-existing NH90 systems such as electronic countermeasures, helmet-mounted display for low-altitude night flight, and secure voice communications will be adapted to the new mission requirements.

The helicopter will be equipped with two intensive care bays for treating wounded personnel, and seats for the medical team. The Medical Service of the German Army was consulted and its experience taken into account in the design and layout of the working areas.

The systems selected for this configuration ensure rapid helicopter availability, optimized compatibility with the current NH90 program, and full operational capability for the transport of wounded personnel.

Kit solution also possible for Combat SAR missions

Eurocopter offers a similar mission package as a retrofit for the TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) variant of the NH90 for Combat Search-And-Rescue (CSAR) and personnel recovery missions, i.e. saving the wounded from combat zones.

Options for the CSAR variant include up to three machine guns (one on each side door and one on the tail ramp), anti-ballistic protection, a rappel system, a double rescue hoist, an emergency flotation system, sand filters, an obstacle warning system and ECM self-protection. The NH90 has a standard range of approximately 200 nautical miles, which is sufficient to reach 94 percent of all mission targets.

The range can be increased to up to 300 nautical miles by adding internal and/or external auxiliary tanks. The in-flight refueling capability of the helicopter means it can also be deployed far beyond these distances.

The retrofit capabilities of the NH90 for CSAR missions offer significant advantages to operators such as the German Armed Forces. The CSAR variant is interoperable with the other TTH variants in service in Germany and other European countries, and can benefit from the logistics solutions already employed by the Army and Air Force. The NH90's stealth features, combined with its all-weather capability and heavy-duty transmission with 30-minute dry-run capability, assure its survivability under the most extreme conditions.

Source: Eurocopter