Airbus Helicopters has delivered the initial pair of NHIndustries NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopters to the Flotilla de Aeronaves de la Armada Española (Spanish Naval Air Arm).

Handover of the two NH90s the first examples of the MSPT (Maritime Spanish Tactical Transport Helicopter) variant, was announced on May 29, 2025. “The delivery of the first NH90 MSPT helicopters is proof of the strong collaboration between the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM), the Spanish Navy, and Airbus Helicopters,” said Fernando Lombo, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain. “Thanks to this excellent cooperation, we’ve been able to conduct the training of Navy crews at our Albacete base, ensuring the helicopters can enter service at Rota Naval Base this summer, as planned for the Navy’s operational readiness. All our teams remain fully mobilised to ensure a smooth entry into service.” The NH90 variant will be operated by Escuadrilla 014, based at the Rota Naval Base, with the unit expected to receive its initial examples this summer.

Spain’s second batch of NH90s

The MSPT is a marinized variant of the NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) tailored to the Spanish Navy’s amphibious tactical transport requirement. It is based on the Spanish-specific Standard 3 configuration of the GSPA (Ground Spain Army) NH90 TTH, which has enhanced protection and communications, as well as better operational security features than the earlier examples of the helicopter in service with the country’s armed forces. Modifications incorporated in the MSPT include a reinforced landing gear; naval-specific communications and navigation systems; plus automatic folding for the rotor blades and the rear fuselage, to decrease its footprint aboard Armada (Spanish Navy) warships. The helicopter is able to carry up to 20 fully equipped troops or a light vehicle, and can be operated by a single pilot in IFR conditions, at night or in adverse weather.

The MSPTs are part of the second batch of NH90 TTHs ordered by Spain, which covers 23 helicopters, comprising seven for the Armada and 16 GSPA Standard 3s, ten of which will serve with the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (Spanish Air and Space Force) and six with the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET, Spanish Army Air Mobile Forces).

The deal was approved by the Spanish cabinet on November 16, 2018, and the order placed the following month, marking the fulfilment of Spanish plans to acquire 45 NH90s that had originally been announced in December 2006. At the time of the announcement the country was not in a position to order the full fleet due to pressures on the defence budget; the original contract covered the procurement of 22 NH90s and included options for the other 23.

The first NH90 TTH built for the second batch – also the initial Standard 3 aircraft delivered – arrived in Spain in October 2024 and was handed over to the air force in December that year. The last of the 23 helicopters will enter service in 2028, although the MSPTs will be delivered in 2025 and 2026. The seven MSPTs have the serials HT.29-39 to ’-45.

Further NH90s are expected to be acquired by Spain, after the Ministry of Defence and Airbus Helicopters signed a framework agreement for the implementation of the Spanish National Helicopter Plan on May 13. It included plans to increase the Spanish armed forces’ NH90 fleet beyond the originally envisaged 45 aircraft.

NH90 MSPT to replace AB-212+

The first MSPT-configured NH90 (HT.29-39) was built at the Airbus Helicopters facility at Donauwörth in Germany, where all seven of the helicopters will be assembled and flown. It made its maiden flight on December 15, 2023, carrying the German test serial 98+80. The helicopter was delivered to Airbus Helicopters España at Albacete in Spain on January 17, 2024, to be outfitted and conduct pre-delivery trials.

The MSPT will replace the Agusta-Bell AB-212+ in the amphibious support role. The AB-212+s were flown by Escuadrilla 003 from Rota, but were retired by the Navy – the squadron holding a farewell ceremony for the type at the base on July 30, 2024. The AB-212+s performed troop transport, fire support, logistics transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue and maritime surveillance roles, and were frequently deployed on Santa María-class frigates, Galicia-class amphibious assault ships and the aircraft carrier-landing helicopter dock SPS Juan Carlos I. The helicopters were upgraded between 2015 and 2018, with some of the surviving airframes going to the FAMET to replace older AB-212s with that service after being withdrawn by the Navy.

After it disbanded personnel from Escuadrilla 003 were transferred to the newly created Escuadrilla 014, which was officially established in May 2024 to prepare for the arrival of the NH90 MSPT. While the training of the initial cache of naval aircrew and ground personnel on the new helicopter was undertaken at Albacete, with the recent official handover of the first two NH90 MSPTs to the Spanish Navy this process is set to move to Rota.