On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the European company Airbus Helicopters (part of the Airbus Group) announced that, together with Italy’s Leonardo Helicopters (part of the Leonardo Group), they are joining forces to conduct a feasibility study aimed at defining the foundation for the planned ‘Block 2’ modernization of the NHI NH90 multirole helicopter. The study has been commissioned by the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA).
Photo: Airbus Helicopters
The Block 2 upgrade package will include key structural enhancements to the helicopter, such as modular avionics, greater configuration commonality, improved operational support and performance, as well as new capabilities in combat readiness, communications, and manned-unmanned teaming. The study, which is expected to be contracted with NAHEMA before the end of the year, is intended to enable current NH90 operators to make informed decisions on future upgrade steps toward the Block 2 standard, within a timeline aligned with other ongoing next-generation capability and technology development efforts.
“There are several studies running at the moment at NATO, EU, and national levels to assess the future of military helicopters,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Together with Leonardo we believe that the NH90 will have a central role to play in the future of European defence capabilities. The NH90 Block 2 evolution will benefit from some of the technologies being investigated by the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies study that we are collaborating on in partnership with Leonardo,” he added.
“The NH90 Block 2 study clearly complements on the longer term the evolution roadmap of the NH90 for which a major step based on the Software Release 3 contract (also called Block1) had already been outlined last year,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters. “We’re committed to delivering a study able to meet NAHEMA’s expectations as well as bearing in mind nations’ needs and their evolving rotorcraft capability requirements,” he concludes.
In May 2024, the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) and the NHIndustries (NHI) consortium—composed of Airbus Helicopters (62.5%), Leonardo (32%), and GKN Fokker (5.5%)—signed a short- and medium-term modernization plan known as Block 1 (also referred to as Software Release 3). This program involves several nations and aims to enhance the capabilities of existing NH90 fleets in areas such as tactical information, data exchange, sensors, navigation, and weapons integration. The Block 2 architecture study will naturally build on the developments of the Block 1 package.
The collaboration between the two manufacturers also stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July 2024, the ultimate aim of which is to conduct an in-depth assessment of the NH90 program’s current status and explore potential future solutions for its continued evolution.
The #NH90 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 field of collaborative combat, connectivity and CUC-T. #PAS25 https://t.co/DfoWz43nBC
— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) June 18, 2025