The "Sea Tiger" replaces the "Sea Lynx" Mk 88. 

Today, the German Navy received the first NH-90 MRFH "Sea Tiger" helicopter in Berlin. The aircraft was ceremoniously handed over by Airbus Helicopter to the Federal Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, and the Deputy Inspector of the Navy and Commander of the Fleet, Vice Admiral Axel Deertz. The crew then flew the brand new helicopter to Nordholz, where guests, local representatives and members of the squadron were already waiting for the new arrival. The atmosphere when the NH-90 MRFH "Sea Tiger" flew in was, as expected, very cheerful, just as it had been when the P 8 "Poseidon" arrived. In his welcoming address, Airbus Helicopter CEO Stefan Thomé praised all partners, the BAAINBw and, above all, the user and expressed his thanks that the first aircraft could be delivered on time. To the delight of those present, he emphasised: "The best pilots in the world fly here" with the currently "best naval helicopter in the world"

Vice Admiral Axel Deertz thanked the industry for the timely delivery. He emphasised the importance of the combat helicopter for the navy and also revealed that the Sea Lynx MK 88 to be replaced will have another task. The sub-hunting helicopter, which has been in service since 1981, will be given to the Ukraine. Nordholz will soon be home to the largest NH 90 base, which is reaching the limits of its capacity. In the search for another location, a solution has been found "between Hamburg and Berlin" - we will not reveal any more here.

The delighted commander of the naval aviators, Captain Broder Nielsen, gave a rousing speech, emphasising the seriousness of the situation despite all the joy. He ended with an impressive personal account of the life of the airmen in action: "Dear guests, we don't want you to have to tell your grandchildren about the war!". And referring to the minister who had emphasised the Russian threat, Broder Nielsen said: "and to the opponent: don't you dare!"

And indeed, the Sea Tiger is impressively powerful. It is more than just a replacement for the Lynx, it is a leap in capability. The introduction of the Sea Tiger is considered a technological milestone for submarine hunting and airborne naval warfare. It replaces the Westland MK 88A "Sea Lynx" on-board helicopter, which has been flying since 1981 and was the German Navy's first ever on-board helicopter. The replacement, which has been planned since 2020 and marks the modernisation of submarine hunting and naval warfare, has already begun. Today, however, is another day of joy for the naval aviation command in Nordholz. A total of 30 aircraft will be stationed at Naval Air Wing 5 in Nordholz. One helicopter will be used for trials at the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61 in Manching.

Equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, high-precision sensors and powerful weapons (including torpedoes and long-range anti-ship missiles), the Sea Tiger covers a wide range of missions. It complements the fleet with a powerful means of maritime deterrence, reconnaissance, detection and anti-submarine warfare. It is a specialised variant of the Airbus NH 90 family.

Here find out more about the "Sea Tiger".