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Netherlands Expands NH90 Maritime Helicopter Fleet to Strengthen NATO Readiness in Northern Waters.
The Netherlands will acquire three additional NH90 maritime helicopters, with an option for two more, to close a long-standing gap in sea-based aviation capacity. The move strengthens NATO posture in northern waters at a time of rising submarine activity and growing concern over seabed infrastructure security.
On December 9, 2025, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence announced the purchase of three additional NH90 maritime combat helicopters, with an option for two more aircraft, as reported by the Dutch MoD. The decision implements the ambitions of the 2024 Defence Memorandum, which identified a structural shortage of NH90 capacity for missions at sea and from amphibious platforms. With deliveries planned for 2030 and a parallel mid-life upgrade that will bring the existing fleet of 19 helicopters to the same standard, the Netherlands is locking in a long-term capability package rather than a short-term fix. In a context of heightened submarine activity in the North Atlantic and concerns over the security of critical seabed infrastructure in the North Sea, this decision has direct implications for NATO’s maritime posture on the Alliance’s northern flank.
The Netherlands is boosting its naval aviation strength by adding three NH90 maritime helicopters, plus options for two more, to meet rising operational demands and reinforce NATO coverage in northern waters (Picture Source: Dutch MoD)
The newly ordered aircraft are NH90 NFH (NATO Frigate Helicopter) in maritime combat configuration, identical in role to the helicopters already operated by the Defence Helicopter Command for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The contract covers three helicopters with an option for two more, and raises the Dutch maritime NH90 fleet from 19 to 22 aircraft once they are accepted into service, with the option to go further if additional airframes are taken up later. According to industry information, these helicopters will be delivered in the latest “Block 1” configuration (Software Release 3), incorporating upgrades such as the adoption of Link 22, a new electro-optical system, more capable sonar processing and provision for additional weapons. In parallel, the Netherlands will modernise its current fleet through a mid-life update between 2028 and 2035, ensuring that all NH90 NFH share the same configuration and can be rotated interchangeably across frigates, amphibious ships and the Joint Support Ship Karel Doorman.
At the tactical level, the NH90 NFH is designed as a multi-role embarked helicopter, with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) as its core mission and anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, maritime surveillance and special forces support as additional roles. The aircraft combines a 360-degree maritime radar, forward-looking infrared sensor and a powerful dipping sonar, complemented by a sonobuoy system, allowing crews to detect, classify and track underwater contacts well beyond the organic sensor range of a frigate. Armed with lightweight torpedoes and door-mounted machine guns, and powered by two Rolls-Royce Turboméca RTM322 engines, the 11-ton-class helicopter offers a radius of action of several hundred kilometres at cruise speeds above 200 km/h, sufficient to cover large patrol sectors from a single ship. Since entering service, Dutch NH90s have been used in counter-piracy operations off Somalia, counter-drugs missions in the Caribbean and humanitarian relief in the wake of hurricanes and earthquakes, illustrating the breadth of missions that the expanded fleet will continue to cover.
Strategically, reinforcing the embarked helicopter component strengthens the Netherlands’ ability to control the underwater domain from the Norwegian Sea to the North Sea and the Baltic approaches. During recent deployments of the frigate HNLMS De Ruyter with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in the Norwegian Sea, Dutch NH90s have been highlighted as key enablers for hunting Russian submarines, using their dipping sonar and sonobuoy patterns to extend the group’s detection envelope in harsh Arctic conditions. At closer range, NH90s are now routinely involved in monitoring Russian naval movements near Dutch waters and in protecting seabed infrastructure such as data cables and energy pipelines in the Exclusive Economic Zone, alongside Royal Netherlands Navy patrol vessels. By expanding the fleet, the Netherlands gains more flexibility to assign helicopters simultaneously to NATO standing maritime groups, to national North Sea surveillance and to amphibious operations in support of the Dutch amphibious forces and multinational Littoral Response groups.
The industrial and political framework of the acquisition is equally significant. The contract was signed in Aix-en-Provence by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) on behalf of the four core NH90 partner nations, Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy, with NHIndustries, the consortium formed by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and GKN Fokker that manages the NH90 programme. This arrangement allows the participating states to pool development and support costs, negotiate from a stronger position vis-à-vis industry and maintain a common upgrade roadmap, including the comprehensive Block 1 modernisation launched in 2024 with enhanced sensors, navigation and weapon integration. The Dutch decision to invest further in the NH90 comes at a time when some operators, such as Norway, have chosen to exit the programme after availability and support concerns, underlining that The Hague sees greater strategic value in consolidating and modernising its existing fleet rather than replacing it. Combined with the future Dutch-Belgian anti-submarine warfare frigates that are being designed around embarked NH90s as their principal off-board sensor, this order embeds the helicopter more deeply into the maritime force structure of both the Netherlands and its close partners.
By committing to three new NH90 NFH helicopters, with an option for two more and a comprehensive mid-life upgrade for the existing fleet, the Netherlands is not simply adding airframes; it is securing the core of its naval aviation capability well into the 2030s. The expanded, standardised fleet will allow Dutch frigates and amphibious ships to maintain a persistent helicopter presence at sea, from NATO’s northern maritime approaches to the protection of vital infrastructure in the North Sea and deployments further afield. It also sends a clear signal that the country is prepared to invest in high-end anti-submarine and maritime support capabilities at a time when undersea competition and grey-zone pressure on critical infrastructure are intensifying. For NATO allies, this translates into a more resilient contribution from a key North Sea nation; for potential adversaries, it is a reminder that the underwater battlespace around Europe is becoming more closely watched, and that the NH90 will remain one of the platforms at the centre of that vigilance.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.