Germany plans to invest around €400 million ($412 million) in new naval aircraft and airbase upgrades, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Friday during a visit to a base on the North Sea.
Pistorius said the investment would turn the Nordholz Naval Airbase, located in the district of Cuxhaven, into the most modern military airfield in Europe over the course of the next decade.
The entire weapon systems for naval aviation are currently being modernized. The base is to be equipped with eight Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as well as 49 NHIndustries NH90 helicopters.
The helicopters include 18 of the Sea Lion variant of the NH90 and 31 of the armed Sea Tiger NH90 variant.
The new helicopters and jets will require new infrastructure at the base as well.
According to the German Navy, the Nordholz Naval Airbase’s tasks include the surveillance of large areas of water and naval warfare from the air against targets above and below the surface.
Search and rescue operations and the transportation of personnel and equipment are also carried out by naval aviators.
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