Dutch interest in Airbus H225M for special forces

[chopper2004]

Interesting document here states that the Dutch MoD interested in Airbus Helicopters H225M for their Helicopter Command , albeit more on the special forces support..

https://www.forcesoperations.com/les-forces-speciales-neerlandaises-voleront-sur-caracal/

cheers

[Jhieminga]

Dutch news outlet was reporting yesterday that 14 examples of the H225M have been ordered, with deliveries starting 2028 if I'm not mistaken. The article you linked to may well say the same... but my French is not good enough to be sure :ouch:

[nowherespecial]

Grabs popcorn waiting for MGD to tell us how awful AH are :)

[minigundiplomat]

I'm still reeling from the fact the Dutch have special forces - I suppose they had long hair and beards way before the rest of NATO's finest.

[minigundiplomat]

Grabs popcorn waiting for MGD to tell us how awful AH are https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

But yes, lets hope the rotor heads stay on and AH don't have to blame the operator whilst leaning on EASA to unground it before the root cause is established.

[Blackhawk9]

Interesting they have gone the 225 route and not the NH-90 (a spec ops version is coming) already in service in the Dutch mil, have the Dutch gone down the reliability route ie: the Puma family works rather than the problematic NH-90 family .(similar to Singapore and several other 225 operators). When I worked with the Dutch years ago like the RAF they wanted Black Hawks, to make the trilogy AH-64, UH-60 and CH-47, they said they bought the Cougar to satisfy EU content and the Cougar fleet was the cheapest of the 3 aircraft types.

[Mee3]

he came he saw he trolled.

[dickmct]

MGD, I have a lot of hours on 225 and L2s. They are brilliant machines and very pilot-friendly. I find it intriguing that the two rotor detachments were on the North Sea and essentially the same operator, as were the gearbox problems. Was there something in the environment, usage or maintenance that was a factor? As for AH, I flew their ac for most of my 37 year career, had very few problems and was very happy to rely on them. Off topic but please stop knocking AH

[Medevac999]

Maybe the Kuwait 225's are going cheap! I hear they are pulling the plug and ordering wait for it........... NH90 😂

[[email protected]]

And I believe the Belgians are looking to replace their not very old NH 90s on SAR with something from the Leonardo stable.....

[RVDT]

Was there something in the environment, usage or maintenance that was a factor?

225M maintenance and usage is different for sure. A lot can be "read" into that as well. There are other models of aircraft that are "just as bad" or possibly worse which still operate commercially.

[212man]

MGD, I have a lot of hours on 225 and L2s. They are brilliant machines and very pilot-friendly. I find it intriguing that the two rotor detachments were on the North Sea and essentially the same operator, as were the gearbox problems. Was there something in the environment, usage or maintenance that was a factor? As for AH, I flew their ac for most of my 37 year career, had very few problems and was very happy to rely on them. Off topic but please stop knocking AH
Not sure how you think Bond Offshore Helicopters is (was) "essentially the same operator" as CHC Norway?

[minigundiplomat]

MGD, I have a lot of hours on 225 and L2s. They are brilliant machines and very pilot-friendly. I find it intriguing that the two rotor detachments were on the North Sea and essentially the same operator, as were the gearbox problems. Was there something in the environment, usage or maintenance that was a factor? As for AH, I flew their ac for most of my 37 year career, had very few problems and was very happy to rely on them. Off topic but please stop knocking AH

I find it intriguing that the two rotor detachments

Read your own words and tell me that statement is normal......

As 212man points out, they were two separate operators, and as for both being in the NS, I'd suggest the bulk of hours were flown there so its a statistical thing. I will knock any OEM whom I feel put sales before safety, and I neither need, or seek, your approval. Apart from that, anything else you wish to add?

[dickmct]

MGD, I do not regard rotor detachments as normal in any way; it is tantamount to a wing falling off a Jumbo. However, as far as I know it has only happened on the NS; that is what I find interesting.
Beyond that I am not going to comment further.

[minigundiplomat]

MGD, I do not regard rotor detachments as normal in any way; it is tantamount to a wing falling off a Jumbo. However, as far as I know it has only happened on the NS; that is what I find interesting.
Beyond that I am not going to comment further.

That's fair enough. As I alluded to earlier, when you consider the global hours flown by both L2 and 225 fleets, I would hazard a guess that the NS would have been a hefty chunk.Whether both incidents occurring in a 'similar postcode' is statistical, or due to maintenance variations, I do not know.

However, what I do know is 13 people lost their lives at Turoy in an accident that should not have happened, and AH's behaviour following that incident was more focused on limiting the damage to future sales than establishing a root cause. Having thrown rather unsubstantiated blame at Heli-One, the focus was clearly on getting the type ungrounded and the sales to overseas customers back on track. That EASA played along with this is difficult to comprehend, and it is a credit to the Norwegian and UK CAA that they held firm.

Heli-One were not responsible for the cracks in the epicyclic gears, and are still, I believe, owed an apology (I am not a Heli-One engineer - for the avoidance of doubt).

That the North Sea operators and 'punters' lost confidence in the type is down to a range of factors - but AH were in control of many of them.

Beyond that I am not going to comment further.

That seems like a reasonable example, which I will also follow.

[EESDL]

Ref AH knocking - a lot of us witnessed the truckloads of BS delivered up at ABN and elsewhere trying to justify an early return to flying. It was arrogant at best and criminal at worst.
They wheeled in Academics - reminded me of the 'Hitler's Diaries' farce