OREANDA-NEWS Norway is canceling a contract with Italy for the supply of NH90 multi-purpose helicopters worth over $550 million, the Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arilda Grama said, according to Gazeta.ru.

Norway signed a contract with Italy in 2001 to supply 14 NH90 multipurpose helicopters for the Navy and Coast Guard. The helicopters were supposed to arrive in 2005, but the first machine arrived in Norway in 2011 and took off for the first time in 2017. The Norwegian State Audit Office considers both parties to be guilty of derailing the contract, while the operation of the NH90 is considered too costly.

The NH90 has been produced since 1995 in two variants. Transport-and-rescue version is designed to transport people and carry out search and rescue missions. The deck helicopter can fight against surface ships and submarines.

Earlier it was reported that the Indian Air Force decided to cancel the deal to buy 48 military transport helicopters Mi-17V5 from Russia.