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France receives first NH90 Standard 2 special‑operations helicopter
On 30 July 2026 Airbus Helicopters delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA). The NH90 Standard 2 is a variant of the NH90 TTH specifically configured for special‑operations missions. France has ordered 18 helicopters of this type, with deliveries scheduled through mid‑2029, and they will be operated by the French Army Aviation special‑forces squadron based in Pau.
The Standard 2 configuration adds a Safran Euroflir 410 D electro‑optical system, a new digital map generator, a third crew‑member seat and enlarged rear sliding windows that can accommodate self‑protection guns. It also includes provisions for the Direct Aperture System and a fully digital Thales TopOwl helmet. The programme was launched in 2020 by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) and awarded to the NHIndustries consortium (Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and Fokker). In December 2025 Spain joined the programme, ordering 31 NH90 helicopters in the same Standard 2 configuration.
Entities
Airbus Helicopters · DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement) · France · French Armament General Directorate (DGA) · French Army Aviation special‑forces squadron · Matthieu Louvot · NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) · NH90 Standard 2 · NHIndustries · Pau
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 16 SOURCES] The NH90 Standard 2 is a variant of the NH90 TTH designed for special‑operations missions. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +11 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Standard 2 configuration includes a Safran Euroflir 410 D electro‑optical system, a digital map generator, a third crew‑member seat, and enlarged rear sliding windows for self‑protection guns. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +5 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] France has ordered a total of 18 NH90 Standard 2 helicopters, with deliveries scheduled through mid‑2029. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +11 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] The programme was ordered in 2020 by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) to NHIndustries. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +11 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Matthieu Louvot, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said the delivery honours the French armed forces and that the Standard 2 aims to become a benchmark for special forces worldwide. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Standard 2 includes provisions for integration of the Direct Aperture System and a Thales TopOwl fully digital helmet. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Airbus Helicopters delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to the French DGA on 30 July 2026. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +5 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] Spain joined the programme in December 2025, ordering 31 NH90 helicopters in a similar Standard 2 configuration. canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · armees.com · www.avionrevue.com · +11 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] The first NH90 Standard 2 helicopter was delivered to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) on 30 July 2026. zbiam.pl · avioblog.it · canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · +11 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] The Standard 2 configuration includes a Safran Euroflir 410 D electro‑optical system, a digital map generator, a third crew‑member seat, enlarged rear sliding windows for self‑protection guns, and it‑ zbiam.pl · avioblog.it · canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · +11 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] The helicopters will be operated by the French Army Aviation special‑forces squadron based in Pau. zbiam.pl · avioblog.it · canadiandefencereview.com · defensetalks.com · www.airway.com.br · +11 more