Qatar has selected Safran Helicopter Engines as engine supplier for its new fleet of twin-engine NH90 military helicopters. The 28 NH90s, whose acquisition was announced on 14 March, will all feature RTM322 engines.

The engines will be assembled in Bordes (France) and delivered to Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Marignane, where the NH90 tactical transport version (TTH) is assembled, and to the Leonardo Venice-Tessera facility in Northern Italy for integration with the naval (NFH) configuration.

Safran Helicopter Engines says it now powers 80% of the worldwide NH90 fleet. The NH90 is also proposed with General Electric T700 engines.

RTM322 is a 2,100 to 2,600 shaft horsepower (shp) engine designed for 10-15t military helicopters. It features state-of-the art technologies that enable it to perform in extremely demanding environments. Safran acquired full ownership of the RTM322 — initially a joint programme with Rolls-Royce — in 2013.

The Qatar Armed Forces NH90 will feature the RTM322-01/9A version offering a 7% power increase over the baseline RTM322-01/9 variant. This additional power increases mission capabilities in “hot and high” conditions.

Today, 1,100 RTM322 have been delivered worldwide, accumulating over 1.3 million flight-hours.

As part of the agreement, Qatar has also ordered 16 Airbus Helicopters H125 light single-engine helicopters for operation by the its Armed Forces Air Academy. With their Arriel 2D engines, these rotorcraft will also be Safran-powered.