The Finnish Defence Forces are set to get EUR 16 million in compensation for the delay in the supply of the NH90 transport helicopters that it has ordered, reports the Tampere newspaper Aamulehti. The order is more than two and a half years behind schedule.
In early December, the helicopter model got its first approval for use by authorities in Germany. However, approval for the copters to be supplied to Finland will have to wait. According to Colonel Mika Soininen of the Finnish Army air unit, the move is expected by early February. If this happens, the first of the aircraft could be in use in April.
The French manufacturer NH Industries is paying a fine for the delay which is about the equivalent of the cost of a single helicopter. Aamulehti says that the total price tag of EUR 554 million will remain unchanged.
The Finnish company Patria will assemble 50 NH90 transport helicopters as a subcontractor of the French Eurocopter SAS at its plant in Jämsä, where 18 of the 20 NH90s that are to come to Finland will be assembled.
