ROME — Qatar has signed a €3 billion (U.S. $3.7 billion) deal to buy 28 NH90 helicopters, the manufacturers said Wednesday.

The deal, which was signed at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference in Qatar, covers 16 NH90s in a tactical transport configuration and 12 NH90s in a naval configuration.

Qatar also ordered 16 H125 light single-engine helicopters in a training configuration.

Italy’s Leonardo, a partner in the European NHIndustries consortium, which builds the NH90, will act as prime contractor on the NH90 deal and will handle final assembly and delivery of the 12 naval helicopters from its Venice–Tessera facility in northern Italy.

Consortium partner Airbus will handle final assembly and delivery of 16 tactical transport variants from its facility in Marignane, France.

Qatar buy of NH90 helicopters an ‘export success for France’ France's armed forces minister has welcomed Qatar’s order for 28 NH90 military helicopters, pointing up the political and economic significance of the deal with European consortium NHIndustries.

Deliveries are expected to start before June 2022 and continue through to 2025.

The contract brings the total order book to 543 helicopters with 350 delivered to date to 20 customers.

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