Leonardo delivered the first NH90 Maritime – Italian Navy Tactical Transport (MITT) helicopter to the Italian Navy, in January. The aircraft was designated ‘MH-90’ by its operator.
The handover was performed during an official ceremony held at Luni Naval Base in the presence of representatives and dignitaries from the Italian Navy and industry.
Assembled, flight-tested and delivered on schedule from Leonardo’s Venice-Tessera plant, the aircraft is the first of 10 MH-90s the Italian Navy will use for amphibious support and special forces operations.
The MH-90 combines the main features of the type for land tactical transport duties, such as the rear ramp and mission equipment, together with the features of the naval NH90 such as optimized landing gear and dynamics for ship operations. The MITT variant will add to the Nato Frigate Helicopter (NFH) aircraft in service and on order by the Italian Navy for other specialized tasks of which 23 have been delivered to date.
The result of the strong cooperation between the customer and industry, the delivery of the first MH-90 allows the Italian Navy to enhance its capabilities. The MH-90 is part of the Italian Navy’s modernization, plans to cope with the ever evolving range of mission requirements and operational scenarios by deploying the most advanced technology available today.