NHI and its Supply Chain are fully engaged and committed to secure NH90 fleet operational readiness. This was the main message coming out of the “NH90 Supplier Conference”, held in Aix-en-Provence (France) on the 4th February, 2026.
The NH90 community gathered for this fourth edition of the event, which welcomed around 200 participants bringing together Industry, Suppliers as well as End-Users of the NH90 to reinforce a shared objective: ensuring operational excellence through strong and reliable partnerships and innovation.
The event underlined the significant role that suppliers play – demonstrating that in a programme as complex and mission-critical as the NH90, alignment across the industrial ecosystem is essential.
Maximising the contribution of the supply chain
A highlight of the conference was the round-table interview featuring senior Procurement and Customer Support representatives from Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo Helicopters.
The discussion emphasised:
- The critical role of suppliers in supporting Nations’ targets achievement;
- The growing demand for performance, predictability and responsiveness across the supply chain;
- The continuous improvements across maintenance support and logistics, with the introduction of the civil inherited scheme of “standard exchange” and the available technologies to align fleet needs with supply chain capacity;
- Long-term collaborations as key enabler to enhance customer satisfaction.
Customer voices: Mission-driven perspectives
One of the most impactful segments of the conference came from NH90 operators themselves. Representatives from the French, Finnish and Dutch armed forces shared first-hand insights into the missions performed with their NH90 fleets — from tactical transport and naval operations to search and rescue and joint-force deployments.
Their testimonies highlighted:
- The diversity and complexity of missions that NH90 allows;
- The wide operational environments in which the aircraft performs;
- The importance of continuous and effective alignment between all players (Suppliers, Industry and End-Users) towards fleet’s mission success.
The conference heard that suppliers are not just providers of components — they are essential contributors to operational capability. Ensuring fleet readiness requires proactive coordination, transparency, and sustained commitment from every partner in the value chain.
French JEC and Program Director ICETA Nicolas Moreau de Montcheuil put the significance of the event into a broader context, saying that “ it was important to see how we can share the same objective: to ensure a proper security of Europe.”
Major. Petteri Väänänen, Finnish CJEC and Chief of Helicopter and UAV Sector, added: “For us, as an end-user of the NH90, this kind of event where we are able to discuss together with the suppliers and the partner companies is crucial to succeed in our missions.”
Meanwhile, MAJMARNS Jan Parlevliet, Head of Operations 860 Sqn, Netherlands, described the conference as an opportunity to connect with suppliers, NHI and NAHEMA, adding: “It’s very important for me to show our suppliers how important their work is and what we expect from them.”
Building the future together
The NH90 Supplier Conference reinforced a shared understanding that collaboration must go beyond contractual relationships and it is about “purpose”, granting End-Users the ability to perform their critical security and defence missions. Innovation, digitalisation, supply chain resilience and performance-driven partnerships are key pillars for the future of the programme.
The event served as a powerful reminder that the NH90 programme is built on a strong and interconnected community — one that must continue working together to meet evolving operational demands.
For a closer look at the customer perspectives shared during the event, watch the dedicated video recap here:
