France has accepted the final NH90 Caïman Tactical Transport Helicopter from Airbus as part of a rotorcraft fleet expansion project for the army.
The delivery marked the completion of shipments that began in 2011 to fulfill the service’s requirement of 63 NH90s in a tailor-made “Standard 1” configuration featuring enhanced logistics capacity.
After this milestone, the force is expected to receive 18 more NH90s in a “Standard 2” version between 2026 and 2029.
The second batch will be specifically built for special operations units and will incorporate larger parts as well as additional crew capacity for enhanced deployment and extraction of personnel.
The entire project is a move to gradually replace the French Army’s aging Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters in use since the late 1960s.
The NH90 Caïman
The French Army’s NH90 Caïman measures 20 meters (66 feet) long and has a rotor diameter of 16 meters (52 feet).
It is powered by two turboshaft engines with up to 2,400 horsepower each and a capacity for up to 20 seated soldiers, 10 medical evacuation stretchers, or over 4,000 kilograms (8,818 pounds) of external slung payload.
The helicopter flies at 300 kilometers (186 miles) per hour, has a range of 1,600 kilometers (994 miles), and a service ceiling of 3,500 meters (11,483 miles).
For combat use, the aircraft can be fitted with door-mounted machine guns, a 20-millimeter cannon pod, a rocket pod, and multi-domain missiles.
