The NH 90 takes over

The Navy is introducing two versions of the NH 90. It will replace the Sea King, which has been in service for decades, in Naval Air Wing 5 in the short term and the Sea Lynx on-board helicopter in the medium term.

The recent operational readiness of the NH 90 Sea Lion marks the beginning of a new era at Marinefliegergeschwader 5 (MFG 5). With this modern, high-performance helicopter, the old Sea King Mk 41 and soon also the Sea Lynx Mk 88A will be sent into retirement. Despite some start-up problems and technical hurdles, one thing is certain: by 2029 at the latest, the naval aircraft with the NH 90 should be able to develop their full effectiveness as a contribution to a war-ready fleet. The inspector general's clear mandate leaves no doubt about this, and the naval aviators' self-imposed target of achieving this one year earlier emphasises this. The naval aviators must therefore further accelerate their flight training, optimise their technical processes and be ready to go into action with the fleet at any time.