Airbus and partners sign NH90 Block 2 architecture study contract

Marignane, France, 20 April 2026 – The NATO agency in charge of the NH90 programme, NAHEMA, has signed a contract with NHIndustries (a consortium between Airbus, Leonardo and GKN Aerospace) to launch the NH90 Block 2 architecture study. The Block 2 upgrade will include key structural improvements to the aircraft such as modular avionics, greater configuration commonality, improved maintenance and performance, as well as new capabilities in the fields of collaborative combat, connectivity and crewed-uncrewed teaming.

“The NH90 has recently reached 500,000 flight hours, a testimony to its maturity and operational relevance, as well as its continuously upgraded capabilities. The Sea Tiger and the NH90 Standard 2 are establishing themselves as the state-of-the-art benchmark for naval and tactical operations and we are already preparing the midterm evolution of the NH90 with the Block 1 upgrade. The signing of the Block 2 contract now marks a decisive step in ensuring the NH90 remains at the forefront of European defence for decades to come,” said Matthieu Louvot, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “As NATO and its member nations define the future of vertical lift, Airbus and its partners are committed to evolving this proven platform to meet the most demanding operational challenges of the future battlespace,” he added.

This two-year architecture study will ensure industrial continuity by building upon the achievements of the Block 1 programme while evolving the platform for the 2040+ operational environment. Guided by high-level requirements defined by NAHEMA and the participating nations, the study will run in parallel with the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) initiatives. The goal of the architecture study is to deliver the critical technical outputs necessary for NAHEMA and the nations to evaluate and select the upgrade design options that best align with their long-term sovereign capability needs.

Airbus

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