At the 2025 Paris Air Show, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and PhotonFirst announced their partnership to develop a cutting-edge Structural Health and Usage Monitoring System (SHUMS) for helicopters. This next-generation system enables real-time monitoring of structural loads and fatigue during flight, addressing key challenges in helicopter maintenance.
Helicopter operators frequently face costly, unscheduled repairs that can impact mission readiness and flight safety. Predictive maintenance supported by real-time load tracking offers a solution by preventing unexpected failures, improving fleet availability, and reducing overall maintenance costs.
PhotonFirst will unveil a new fiber optic sensing interrogator certified for aerospace use, capable of functioning in extreme flight conditions. Scheduled for certification on NH90 helicopters in July, this marks an important advancement in integrating fiber optic sensing with aviation platforms.
NLR and PhotonFirst are working closely to evolve this technology into a fully integrated SHUMS solution tailored for broad application in the helicopter market. Their collaboration promises to deliver a new standard for predictive maintenance and enhanced operational reliability in the rotorcraft sector.
