8 NH90

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OOSTENDE/KOKSIJDE - Nog voor juni 2007 worden de Seaking helikopters vervangen door drie nieuwe heli's HN90, geconstrueerd door het Franse Eurocopter (Marseille). Minister van Defensie André Flahaut (PS) liet gisteren aan zee weinig twijfel over de keuze bestaan, hoewel ook de heli EH101 van Agusta-Westland nog in de running is. Maar de NH90 is bijzonder wendbaar, heeft sterke verdiensten boven zee en past perfect aan dek van de twee nieuwe - Nederlandse - fregatten, die Flahaut wil aankopen ter vervanging van de Wielingen, de Wandelaar en de Westdiep.

www.hetvolk.be/Article/Detail.aspx?ArticleID=GCRFO3J3

greetz,
Wim

[Flyboytjen]

I saw that NH-90 in een demo at Le Bourget last weekend.
Great héli

I hope they will get a special c/s for the BAF.

Greetz,

FB

[Fabke]

Not bad but I personally prefer the EH101 Merlin , looks much heavier and I liked his demo at Le Bourget and Bikerset ;D

[Vonsmalhausen]

good news but only 3 is that enough to ensure a good SAR service ?
and yes, the Merlin would be nicer,..... but can we pay it ?

[kristof]

vonsmalhausen said:

good news but only 3 is that enough to ensure a good SAR service ?

For the moment there are only 3 Seaking airworthy I believe so it should be enough I guess (and surely hope so)

[Flyboytjen]

Better 3 airworthy NH-90's than 5 Seakings....not airworthy.
At least...it's us who will paid for them. And then I prefer the flying ones


To Fabke: that Merlin is indeed a better (?) heli but I think that Mr.Flahaut has not enough money to buy 1 ;D

Greetz,

FB

[Vonsmalhausen]

flyboytjen said:

Better 3 airworthy NH-90's than 5 Seakings....not airworthy.

very true FB ;D

[Flyboytjen]

Thx VSMH

Maybe they can use all the parts of the 5 Seakings, to make 1 airworthy for a few more years

FB

[Jumbo]

I've heard a rumour that 1 Seaking will be preserved in the museum (Brussels ?). I don't know anymore where I picked it up.

I hope this will be true, because of the long time we saw this heli in the sky, and the good job (numerous scrambles) they (all 5) did for those in need.

Greetz,

Jumbo

[Vonsmalhausen]

i hope they keep at least 2 Sea Kings ; 1 for the museum at Brussels and there should stay one at Koksijde as Gate-guard.
maybe they can trade the others for an other plane/chopper for the Brussels museum it would be a shame to bring them to the scrape-yard, after all these years of good and loyal service they deserve a place in a museum for there "old days"

[Nils]

Newsflash: Today, the belgian council will make its decision formal for the order off 8 to 10 NH90 helicopters to replace the seaking and Allouette III.

source: VRT teletext

[Fabke]

Nils said:

Newsflash: Today, the belgian council will make its decision formal for the order off 8 to 10 NH90 helicopters to replace the seaking and Allouette III.

source: VRT teletext

I hope it will be 10 , would be nice to see 10 of these large choppers flying around in Belgium

[Vonsmalhausen]

still no official news i hope they won't put the decision on "the long road"