NH90 Caïman Helicopters for French Special Forces

The arrival of the NH90 Caïman TTH TFRA Standard 2 — a semi-matte-black, Special-Forces-tailored evolution of the multinational NH90 family, fitted with EuroFLIR, TopOwl helmet displays, heavy .50-caliber mounts and extended-range tanks — marks a decisive step for France (and Europe) toward fielding a stealthier, more capable rotary-wing enabler for clandestine troop insertions beginning in June 2026.

“The NH90 is a symbol of European cooperation…building a resilient and independent defense industry across Europe. It is…a multi-role, medium-sized, military helicopter…for both land and maritime operations.” — NH Industries web site, 2025.

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On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Airbus Helicopters of Marignane, France, confirmed that the all-new, NH Industries NH90 Caïman (“Cayman,” an alligator of Central and South America) TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) in TFRA (Troupes Français, or French Troops) Standard 2 will be delivered to the French Army Aviation (ALAT) force beginning in June 2026. The NH90 TTH TFRA Standard 2 is specifically designed to support French Special Forces, and will be operated by the 4e Régiment d’Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales (4e RHFS), or 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment, at Pau, southern France.

NH Industries is a collaborative company, owned by Airbus Helicopters (France), Leonardo (Italy), and GKN Fokker Aerospace (Germany.) The NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multirole helicopter, constructed in two principal variants, the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for land-based forces, and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) for naval forces. It’s currently in use by the armed forces of Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden in Europe, and also in service with New Zealand, Oman, and Qatar, with 515 built so far.

The NH90 is the first helicopter in the world to be developed for multinational, NATO requirements, the first in the world to be equipped with a four-channel, fly-by-wire flight control system, and its diamond-shaped, advanced-composite fuselage and all-composite rotor blades give it the lowest radar signature in its class, according to Airbus Helicopters.

The French Army has taken delivery of 63 NH90 TTH TFRA Standard 1 helicopters, each powered by twin Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-1/9 turboshaft engines, rated 2,417 horsepower. In addition, the French Navy operates 27 NH90 NFH variants for naval search-and-rescue and anti-submarine warfare.

The basic TTH model can accommodate 20 troops inside, or 2.75 tons of cargo, and may be used for troop transport missions, cargo transportation, medical evacuation, parachuting, flight training, electronic warfare, or as an airborne command post. However, demanding special operations duties require certain modifications to the original NH90 TTH airframe.

Thus, the new NH90 TTH TFRA Standard 2 configuration, with 18 aircraft to be produced, was designed in 2020 as an evolutionary step toward mission-specific configurations, specifically to support the French Special Forces.

Tailored upgrades include Safran Electronics & Defense EuroFLIR 410 high-resolution, electro-optical FLIR sensor, for visual and infrared imaging in all mission requirements. There’s also a Safran Eurofl’Eye distributed-aperture system (DAS), Thales (British/French) TopOwl helmet-mounted displays, Thales digital, three-dimensional moving-map displays in the cockpit, a quick-removable door system, a fast-roping system, enlarged, sliding windows, and the ability to carry external fuel tanks for extended range.

The side doors will mount FN M3M .50-caliber, heavy machine guns instead of the lighter, smaller FN MAG guns in 7.62mm on previous models. The special operations version also has the capability to carry 68mm or 70mm rocket pods, and an NC621 20mm cannon pod, with 180 rounds of ammunition.

Cannon Pod — NC621 20mm cannon pod. Photo credit: J. Sabak.

Within the elite, 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment, the 3rd Special Operations Squadron (3e EOS, in French) currently operates eight EC725AP Caracal (H225M) transport helicopters and two French Air Force EC725R2 Caracal combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) transports.

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These Caracals are all equipped with the lightweight, low-recoil, Nexter SH 20 (M621) hand-fired, 20x102mm door cannon on a swiveling, pintle mount that’s fully retractable, and can be either tucked away inside the aircraft and out of sight, or rapidly deployed and ready to fire in only 10 seconds, affectionately known as the Paquet Surprise, or “Surprise Package.” In addition, the French Air Force’s 1/67 Helicopter Squadron, based at Cazaux, 88 miles to the northwest, along the Atlantic coast, directly supports the Special Forces and operates nine more EC725R2 Caracal transports, also armed with the SH 20 swiveling, cannon system. It remains to be seen if this powerful gun will be available on the new NH90s, but it’s an awesome, optional weapon. Separately, the Action Division (DA, or SA) of the French Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) intelligence service, receives its air support from a French Air Force unit, the Groupe Aérien Mixte 00.056 (GAM 56) “Vaucluse,” at Évreux-Fauville, primarily equipped with two EC725R2 (H225M) Caracal helicopters, two more helicopters, and several fixed-wing aircraft. So, France actually operates a total of 21 EC725AP/R2 Caracals, but only 18 of them will be replaced by NH90 TTH TFRA Standard 2 aircraft from mid-2026 to 2029. An NH90 Standard 3 configuration is already underway, with the first deliveries beginning in December 2024, including stronger landing gear, an automatic, folding main rotor, a higher gross takeoff weight, and enhanced communications and safety features. If the flight-test example is any indication, these new helicopters will be painted semi-matte black, for nighttime operations, much like the U.S. Army helicopters of the semi-secret, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment-Airborne (160th SOAR-A.) French Special Forces pilots are the most heavily armed in the world, for combat survival on the ground, if shot down. They typically carry APC556-PDW and H&K MP7A1 personal defense weapons, a Glock-17FR pistol, two hand grenades, one Wildsteer H-4 combat/survival knife, and one multi-purpose, folding knife. This very recent confirmation of upcoming NH90 TTH TFRA Standard 2 helicopters to the French ALAT for Special Forces support clearly underscores the driving need for NATO nations to upgrade and modernize their weapons and equipment in an increasingly uncertain world.