The French DGA starts the development of the future NH-90 Special Forces helicopter
Paris, October 3rd, 2018 – Six months only after the starting of industrial negotiations, the [French] Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) notified a study on an innovative technology for helping helicopter’s pilot’s vision in degraded environments. Crews belonging to the [French Army] 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment will take part in all qualification steps.
The contract concerns the “wide field of view camera”, an innovative technology developed by Safran under the “Eurofl’eye” name. Based on multiple sensors rather than on a single camera, the system will considerably improve piloting conditions in extreme situations. It will also allow independent fields of view for the pilot and the co-pilot.
The study will include ground tests followed by flight tests on simulators and on flying test bench helicopters and DGA Istres.
Further improvements are foreseen within embarked optronics: the adoption of a gyrostabilised gimbal of the latest generation developed by Safran, the shift to a digitised pilot’s helmet provided by Thales.
The military programming law 2019-2025 includes the NH90-TTH Special Forces helicopter development, a total of 10 being the target, six to be delivered by 2025
Unofficial translation by EDR Magazine