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To aid in training, a simulated landing deck has been constructed at MAS De to allow the pilots to train to qualify for deck operations. Shipboard landings are among the most difficult tasks the new pilots must be able to master. A ship’s helicopter landing pad is a very confined space to begin with. Once the factors of night flying, rough seas and a pitching deck are added to the equation, seaborne operations require finely honed skills of each pilot. The dummy deck allows the pilots to train in a realistic, yet controlled environment before ever heading out to sea.
NH90 CREW
In addition to the pilot and copilot, the remainder of the NH90 crew represent a wide-variety of skills and capabilities to fulfill whatever mission the NH90 finds itself flying. When operating tactically, the crew includes a tactical coordinator (TACCO), who manages communications with the ship, configures the helicopter based on orders he receives from the ship, and provides the information that the ship requests.
In addition to the TACCO, sensor operators play an important role, especially when the NH90 is operating in a warfare configuration. There are two sensor consoles in the back of the helicopter, and depending on the mission set, one or two operators can operate them. The sensors employed by the NH90 include radar, sonar, forward looking infrared (FLIR), electronic warfare, sonar buoys and data uplinks.
The crew may also include a Rescue Operator Aerial Marksman (ROAM) for counter-piracy and counter-drug operations. The ROAM operates a sniper rifle for those missions but is also trained as a rescue swimmer for Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.
TEETHING PROBLEMS
The first NH90 helicopters that were delivered in 2010 were ready to fly, but did not have fully developed mission equipment. While the Dutch received Meaningful Operational Capable (MOC) aircraft, they were delivered in various versions and various states of readiness. This presented a significant challenge as there was much work to be done to bring the helicopters up to the specifications agreed upon when the original aircraft contract was signed. To get the NH90s in the desired state required a major retrofit program, which meant that the Defence Helicopter Command deployed helicopters that were not fully updated. The Netherlands saw this challenge as an opportunity to gain in-depth experience with the NH90 and its systems. For instance, during one such early at-sea deployment, higher levels of corrosion than expected were detected on the NH90.