{"id":60078,"date":"2025-06-29T22:25:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T20:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=60078"},"modified":"2026-06-29T02:43:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T00:43:03","slug":"the-nh90-hspn-anti-submarine-and-anti-ship-helicopter-that-airbus-has-offered-to-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/06\/29\/the-nh90-hspn-anti-submarine-and-anti-ship-helicopter-that-airbus-has-offered-to-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"The NH90 HSPN anti-submarine and anti-ship helicopter that Airbus has offered to Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

A month ago, Airbus officially delivered the first two NH90 MSPT 'Sable' to the Spanish Navy<\/a>, from a total batch of seven units.<\/p>\n

Airbus officially delivers the first two NH90 MSPT 'Sable' aircraft to the Spanish Navy<\/a><\/rel>
\nMH-60R Seahawk: this is the new multi-mission helicopter that the Spanish Navy will receive<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

Integrated into the new 14th Aircraft Flotilla Squadron (FLOAN), these NH90 MSPTs are a navalized version of the NH90 TTH, a tactical transport version<\/strong>. The Spanish Army and Air Force also use a variant of the NH90 TTH, the GSPA.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
The first two NH90 MSPTs of the Spanish Navy (Photo: Armada Espa\u00f1ola).<\/div>\n

The Spanish Navy expects deliveries of the remaining helicopters to be completed between 2025 (3 units) and 2026 (the remaining 2 units). These helicopters will have as their main mission the transport of troops and special operations, replacing the AB-212 \"Gato\"<\/strong> of the 3rd Squadron, which were retired from service in July of last year and have been transferred to the Spanish Army<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An NH90 Sea Tiger, the German version of the anti-submarine NH90 NFH (Photo: Airbus).<\/div>\n

In addition to these seven NH90 MSPTs, Airbus has offered the Spanish Navy the anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-ship (ASUW) version of this helicopter, the NH90 NFH<\/strong>, a version that is already in service in the Navies of Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
A U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74, armed with two Hellfire air-to-surface missiles (Photo: U.S. Navy).<\/div>\n

This anti-submarine version, which in Spain would be called the NH90 HSPN, was expected to replace the SH-60B Seahawk<\/strong> operated by the FLOAN's 10th Aircraft Squadron. These anti-submarine helicopters (a total of 12 units) are usually carried on board frigates of the \"Santa Mar\u00eda\" (F-80) and \"\u00c1lvaro de Baz\u00e1n\" (F-100) classes. However, in April 2023 the Spanish government decided to purchase eight MH-60 Seahawk multipurpose helicopters<\/a> to replace the SH-60Bs (let us also remember that the Spanish Navy received 8 SH-60Fs to replace its aging SH-3 Sea Kings).<\/p>\n

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A German NH90 Sea Tiger armed with a torpedo (Photo: Airbus).<\/div>\n

The purchase of the MH-60R led to speculation that the Spanish Navy would ultimately discard the anti-submarine NH90, but in November 2024 the Ministry of Defense started a report on the feasibility of the anti-submarine NH90 HSPN<\/a>, a study with a cost of 10 million euros and which raises the possibility of purchasing 20 units of this variant, the first ones entering service in 2030<\/strong>. This report is expected to be presented in November of this year.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An Italian Navy NH90 NFH armed with a Mars Mk2\/S missile (Photo: MDBA).<\/div>\n

Like the other NH90 NFHs, the Spanish NH90 HSPNs would be equipped with a sonobuoy launcher and a towed, submersible sonar<\/strong> deployed from the bottom of the helicopter. In addition to these and other detection systems, these aircraft could be armed with NSM AL anti-ship missiles<\/a> in weapon mounts on both sides of the fuselage. This variant of the NH90 can also fire torpedoes<\/strong> from those same weapon mounts.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM), purchased by the Spanish Navy in 2022. It is expected to equip the NH90 HSPN (Photo: Kongsberg).<\/div>\n

This week, Airbus has published a video showing the capabilities of the NH90 Sea Tiger, the German version of the anti-submarine NH90 NFH<\/strong>, a helicopter that is very similar to the NH90 HSPN that Spain could buy:<\/p>\n