MARIGNANE, France, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The first of four Eurocopter NH90 helicopters in the NATO Frigate Helicopter variant has been delivered to the Belgian armed forces.
The NH90 is produced by NHIndustries, which is owned by Eurocopter and AgustaWestland. It is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role aircraft with a maximum speed of 186 mph.
Belgium has ordered a total of eight NH90s, four of them in the NFH variant.
"The NH90 NFH is operationally proven, and Belgium will benefit from this helicopter's already validated performance, reliability and versatility," said Michel Polychroniadis, director of the NH90 program at Eurocopter. "The Belgium acceptance teams and flight crews have been impressed by the NH90 NFH's flight stability and its capabilities, providing a preview of the operational enhancements that will be provided for the country's army."
Once the helicopter delivered becomes operational, Belgium will be the fifth country flying the NFH variant. Others doing so are France, Italy, Norway and Netherlands.
Training of Belgian navy flight and maintenance crews on the NH90 NFH is scheduled to begin next month.
