Documents
France Airbus Helicopters
NH90 Caiman
The French designation for the NH90 medium-lift helicopter, built by the multinational NHIndustries consortium in which Airbus Helicopters is the lead French partner. France operates the type in both a naval anti-submarine/utility version and an army tactical transport version.
In service since 2011 · 14 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
300
km/h
1,600
km range
3,500
m ceiling
4,000
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Established · 14 operators
In service since 2011. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 300 km/h Stronger than 55% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 1,600 km Top 3% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 3,500 m Bottom 6% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 4,000 kg Top 2% of helicopters
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 20 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 10,600 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 20 Stronger than 56% of helicopters
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x turboshaft engines
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- dipping sonar (naval variant), FLIR
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 14 Stronger than 82% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Airbus Helicopters and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman has a maximum speed of 300 km/h.
What is the range of the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman has a maximum range of 1,600 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman can carry up to 4,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman weigh? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman has a combat weight of 10,600 kg.
How many crew does the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman require? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman use? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman is powered by the 2x turboshaft engines.
What is the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman used for? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman is a helicopter typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman? +
The Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman is operated by 14 countries.
How much does the Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman cost? +
Airbus Helicopters NH90 Caiman: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
Similar systems
Boeing
AH-64E Apache Guardian
Boeing
AH-64D Apache Longbow
Bell
AH-1Z Viper
Russian Helicopters