The great leap

The complexity of the Navy's new helicopters requires intensive, modern training that cannot be provided on the Sea Lion and Sea Tiger operational models alone. A training helicopter is needed. Without it, the immense potential of the new systems cannot be utilised.

The naval aviators are delighted! After 50 years of the Sea King and 40 years of the Sea Lynx, they are converting both helicopter fleets to the NH 90. The Sea King will be replaced by the Sea Lion, the naval transport variant and currently the most modern version of the NH 90, while the Sea Lynx will go one step further. The NH 90 is to be introduced as a Multi-Role Frigate Helicopter (MRFH) under the name Sea Tiger. The target version of this already includes roughly what other nations are aiming for as part of a midlife update from the end of the twenties.
In future, a total of 48 helicopters of these two types will be available to the Navy for the entire spectrum of maritime SAR services, submarine hunting, maritime interdiction tasks, surface warfare such as support for coastal operations and maritime special forces operations.
The step in development could hardly be greater. Although at first glance only the difference in size between the Sea Lynx and Sea Tiger is noticeable, the Sea King and Sea Lion also differ significantly. Even the Sea Lion, although not intended for tactical use, is equivalent to a small operations centre. In the Sea Tiger, networked and proprietary sensor information comes together which, in combination with the appropriate armament, enables independent and simultaneous multidimensional naval warfare. At least the helicopter could, if the small crew can keep pace with the requirements that would otherwise be met by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft or a ship's operations centre.