Italian Navy completes first flight of upgraded NH90 Block 1 helicopter to improve NATO anti-submarine warfare.

On July 21, 2026, an Italian Navy SH90 helicopter completed the maiden flight of the NH90 Software Release 3 (SWR3) configuration, formally designated Block 1, in Italy. Managed by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) and prime contractor NHIndustries, the flight initiates the airborne qualification campaign under a development contract exceeding €600 million. The modernization program establishes a unified digital architecture across NATO member fleets by integrating Link 22 tactical data links, revised civil navigation systems, and advanced maritime sensor suites.

The SWR3 Block 1 package integrates Link 22 line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, the LEOSS-T electro-optical system, and OTS-90 Mark II and FLASH sonars across naval NFH and tactical transport TTH variants. Airborne flight qualification testing precedes a planned retrofit campaign intended to upgrade more than 200 operational NH90 helicopters across Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Related topic: Airbus and Leonardo begin NH90 Block 2 development to shape long-term NATO helicopter modernization

The Block 1 is the NH90's first major digital modernization, upgrading its communications, sensors, mission systems, and weapons integration to shorten the sequence from initial submarine detection to classification and localization. (Picture source: NHIndustries)

On August 3, 2026, NHIndustries and the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) announced that an Italian SH90 had completed the first flight of the NH90 in the Software Release 3 (SWR3) configuration, formally designated Block 1, on July 21, 2026, in Italy. This opens the airborne qualification campaign for the most extensive common upgrade introduced across the helicopter program since operational service began in 2007. The test aircraft was an Italian NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH), designated SH90 in naval service, and its flight followed the June 13, 2024 signature of a development and qualification contract worth more than €600 million. NAHEMA placed the contract on behalf of Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, with NHIndustries coordinating Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo and GKN Fokker.

The Block 1 upgrade covers both the naval NFH and land-oriented TTH variants, but the largest immediate changes concern maritime operations because the package combines Link 22 communications, the LEOSS-T electro-optical system, OTS-90 Mark II and FLASH sonar capabilities, a revised civil GNSS and Flight Management System, new mission software and additional weapon interfaces. The July 21 flight established that the combined configuration could operate in the air and allowed engineers to begin testing interactions between the helicopter, its mission computer, its sensors, its communications equipment and the crew stations. The NH90 is a twin-engine military helicopter developed from a NATO requirement for a common land and maritime aircraft, with the first prototype flying on December 18, 1995.

The standard helicopter measures 16.13 m in length, uses a 16.3 m-diameter four-blade main rotor, and has an empty weight of 6,400 kg. Maximum takeoff weight is 10,600 kg, while the cabin can carry up to 20 seated troops, 12 medical evacuation stretchers, two NATO pallets, or equipment supported by an external sling-load capacity of 4,200 kg. Depending on the national configuration, propulsion is provided by two Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-1/9 engines rated at 1,802 kW each or two General Electric CT7 engines in the 1,845 kW class. Maximum speed is listed at 300 km/h, standard range at 800 km and the upper operating altitude at 20,000 ft, while the certified temperature envelope extends from -40 °C to +50 °C. The NH90 was built in two main variants that share the airframe, fly-by-wire controls, cockpit and a large portion of the dynamic system but differ substantially in mission equipment. 

The TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) supports troop movement, tactical logistics, medical evacuation, special operations, disaster relief and light-vehicle transport, normally using large side doors and a rear loading ramp. The NFH (NATO Frigate Helicopter) adds equipment for shipborne operations, including automatic main-rotor and tail folding, deck-handling provisions, maritime mission consoles, sonar and sonobuoy processing equipment, emergency flotation and, in several national configurations, the Harpoon deck-locking system. Its four-channel fly-by-wire flight-control system is integrated with a four-axis autopilot, mission equipment and navigation systems, allowing day and night operations over land or sea and reducing the number of manual control inputs required during low-level flight, ship approaches and sonar dipping.

The composite fuselage and rotor blades reduce structural weight and corrosion exposure compared with a predominantly metallic design, although maritime fleets have still required corrosion-prevention measures and maintenance modifications. By March 2024, 515 NH90s had been delivered in 24 variants to 14 countries, demonstrating both the scale of the fleet and the configuration fragmentation that the Block 1 is intended to limit. The SWR3 implementation plan separates development from fleet conversion. The first phase covers laboratory integration, software verification, ground tests and flight qualification, with airborne work concentrated at Tessera in Italy on Italian Navy NFHs and Italian Army TTHs. Using both variants is necessary because Link 22, navigation software and core mission computer changes are common, while sonar, electro-optical equipment, weapon controls and naval displays apply primarily to the NFH.

Qualification must determine whether the systems function correctly not only in level flight but during hover, ship approaches, sonar operations, low-altitude maritime flight, radio-frequency transmission, tactical data exchange and transitions between civilian and military airspace. The second phase is intended to deploy the Block 1 upgrade as a retrofit across more than 200 helicopters in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, although the exact national quantities, retrofit sequence and completion dates have not been released. Converting more than 200 aircraft would amount to upgrading close to 40% of the 515 helicopters delivered by March 2024, making software configuration control, aircraft availability and modification throughput central program risks rather than secondary industrial issues. Link 22 is the most consequential change because it alters how an NH90 participates in a naval force.

The system provides secure Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) tactical data exchange without using satellite communications, making the NH90 the first helicopter integrated with this NATO-standard link. In practical terms, an NFH searching 100 km or more from its parent frigate can transmit submarine contact coordinates, track quality, identification status and sensor updates directly into the wider maritime picture instead of relying primarily on voice reports. It can also receive updated air, surface and subsurface tracks from frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, other helicopters or command centers, reducing the risk that the crew searches an obsolete position or duplicates another unit's task.

This is particularly important in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) because underwater contacts can be intermittent, submarine localization requires repeated measurements, and the time between detection and weapon release may be limited. In short, Link 22 does not increase the sonar's physical detection range, but it increases the military value of each detection by distributing it more quickly and allowing several units to maintain a common track. The naval sensor package combines the LEOSS-T high-definition electro-optical observation system with the OTS-90 Mark II dipping sonar and FLASH sonar capability. The LEOSS-T supports daylight, low-light and infrared observation for long-range surveillance, vessel identification, target tracking and designation, giving the crew a means of examining contacts without approaching within visual range.

This is relevant in congested waters where fishing boats, merchant ships, unmanned craft and military vessels may occupy the same sector and where rules of engagement require a positive identification before action. The OTS-90 Mark II is used from the hover, with the sonar lowered below the sea surface to detect, classify and localize submarines, while the FLASH adds another acoustic capability to the anti-submarine suite. Their outputs are integrated into the NH90 Naval Mission System together with navigation data, electro-optical imagery and Link 22 tracks. The operational objective is to reduce manual correlation between separate consoles, shorten the interval between initial acoustic detection and a usable firing solution, and maintain contact during transitions between dipping positions or handover to another aircraft or ship.

The navigation and armament changes are less visible than the new sensors but are important for long-term operation. The Block 1 introduces a revised civil Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and flight management system architecture intended to improve positional accuracy, route generation and compliance with changing civil-airspace standards. Military helicopters often transit civilian-controlled airspace before reaching a maritime operating area, so obsolete navigation functions can restrict routes, increase controller coordination and force operators to retain parallel equipment. The new architecture also provides a more stable baseline for future software updates and national modifications. The SWR3 adds interfaces for further weapon integration, with the Mk54 lightweight torpedo and MBDA Marte ER anti-ship missile identified within the Block 1 roadmap.

The Mk54 would give participating users access to a digitally guided NATO lightweight torpedo optimized for submarine prosecution, while the Marte ER would add a sea-skimming anti-ship weapon with a range exceeding that of earlier Marte versions. The complete weapon set and the schedule for each national integration remain undefined, meaning that the Block 1 creates the software and hardware pathway before every operator necessarily funds and qualifies the same armament. The program's strategic value will also depend on whether the upgrade can be fielded at scale without worsening the availability and support problems that have affected parts of the NH90 fleet.

Australia retired its MRH-90 fleet in 2023, Norway ended its NH90 program in 2022, and Belgium decided to phase out its four TTHs after citing high operating costs and lower-than-expected availability, while retaining its naval aircraft. Earlier fleet data showed Finnish availability falling to 19% during 2014 before improving, while operating cost estimates ranged from €12,000 per flight hour for Belgium in 2020 to figures of $30,000 to $50,000 per hour for the Australian MRH-90. NHIndustries sought to improve support through the New Horizon program, including longer intervals for dynamic component inspections and overhaul, raised from 600 and 1,200 flight hours to 900 and 1,800 hours respectively.

The Block 1 does not directly solve spare-parts shortages, maintenance manpower constraints or high operating cost because it leaves the airframe, engines, transmission and core maintenance concept largely unchanged. Its contribution is narrower but operationally significant: it creates a common digital baseline intended to remain in use for 10 to 15 years, supports a planned service life reaching 50 years and provides the foundation for Block 2 studies aimed at NH90 operations during the 2040s and beyond.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.

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