The Finnish Army's NH90s and their habit inherited from Soviet helicopters

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Finland is a heavily forested country (75% of its surface area is covered by forests) with a very cold climate, with regions experiencing six or seven months of snowfall each year. For decades, the Finnish Defence Forces operated ten Soviet Mil Mi-8 helicopters (eight Mi-8Ts and two Mi-8Ps), received in the 1970s by the Finnish Air Force and the Border Guard. The Mi-8 was a helicopter highly regarded by Finnish pilots. Although not easy to fly, they were robust and simple to maintain.

In 2001, Finland signed a contract to purchase 20 NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopters. Deliveries were scheduled for 2004 but were delayed by four years. The first helicopter was manufactured in France, and the remaining 19 were assembled in Finland by the defense company Patria. In addition to the delay, the initial experience included a major disappointment: the manufacturer had promised 3 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, but it ultimately took 30. This exorbitant cost hampered its operational effectiveness.

These problems were compounded by another: the Finnish NH90s were delivered with an initial operational configuration that did not meet all the expected characteristics for these aircraft. Deliveries of the 20 Finnish NH90s were completed in 2015, with serious availability issues that resulted in only 19% of the fleet being available in 2014, a percentage that increased to 50% in 2015. The final operational configuration was not achieved until 2018.

Of course, the NH90 included notable improvements over the Mi-8. One of these was the electrothermal technology of its main rotor, which serves to remove ice. Something important in such a cold country. In addition, the NH90s include a glass cockpit and the ability to fly with night vision goggles, a feature that Finnish Mi-8 pilots never had. Another important improvement is the Military Obstacle Warning System (MilOWS), based on the LADAR laser pulse remote sensing system (similar to the well-known LiDAR), which allows flying in wooded areas with great safety even in very bad weather conditions.

The Finnish NH90s have been equipped with 7.62 mm M-134 Minigun Gatling guns in their side doors, after testing the German MG3 machine guns (whose firing was more sensitive to rotor drift) and the Browning M3, whose rate of fire proved unsatisfactory. It is a weapon commonly used in the gunner positions of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Finland is currently the only country using the Minigun on the NH90 (the Australian Army used it on its NH90s until their retirement in 2023).

The Finnish NH90s have received two local upgrades. One of these is different pilot side windows than those included in the factory configuration. The Finnish company Patria introduced improved glazing to enhance visibility in poor weather conditions, along with other systems to ensure the aircraft's operability in very cold climates. Furthermore, the Finnish NH90s have been modified to fly without the rear ramp, a feature of the Mil Mi-8 that was widely used in Finland for certain missions, such as transporting snowmobiles.

The 20 Finnish NH90s are operated by the Utin Jääkärirykmentti (UTJR) Helicopter Battalion, the Finnish Army's Special Hunter Regiment, a special operations unit. To learn more about the Finnish NH90s, I recommend watching this video published a few days ago by Vertical Plus and Lloyd H Photography, which shows these aircraft up close and features an interview with one of their pilots:

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Photos: Utin Jääkärirykmentti.