As a result of either unreliability or late delivery, Norway plans to scrap its NH90 military helicopter fleet and seek a refund from the NH Industries consortium led by Airbus. Airbus responded by calling the move “legally groundless.” The defence minister and head of the military say Norway will return the NH90 military helicopters it ordered from the NH Industries consortium.
The government of Oslo also announced that it would seek payment of 5 billion crowns ($523 million), plus interest and other costs, from NHIndustries, which is owned by Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo of Italy, and Fokker Aerostructures of the Netherlands.
No matter how many hours our technicians work or how many parts we order, the NH90 will never be able to meet the needs of the Norwegian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said in a news conference. “We are extremely disappointed” by the decision, the helicopter consortium said.
In a statement, NHIndustries stated that this termination was illegal. Norway was not offered the opportunity to discuss the latest proposal made to improve the availability of the NH90 in Norway or address specific Norwegian requirements. Airbus shares fell just over 1%.
