Airbus Helicopters has introduced new rotorcraft concepts to meet requirements set by the Nato Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities (NGRC) study.
The proposal, developed in partnership with RTX businesses Collins Aerospace and Raytheon, as well as MBDA, features both a conventional high-performance helicopter and a high-speed compound rotorcraft design.
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Airbus secured the contract from the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in July 2024 to lead a concept study for the NGRC project.
Under this agreement, participants are joining efforts to design, develop, deliver, and support a medium multi-role helicopter.
Airbus said that modularity and simplicity are the essential elements of its NGRC proposal, with an emphasis on ease of manufacture, maintenance, and upgrades.
The design incorporates a Modular Open System Architecture to facilitate long-term cost management.
Both proposed rotorcrafts will offer high levels of connectivity and share similarities in maintenance requirements, training processes, weapons, and systems.
Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even said: “We want to ensure that Europe is in a position to propose a platform that will best fit our military partners’ needs in terms of affordability, operational efficiency and maximum availability for both the conventional helicopter and for the high speed rotorcraft.
“These two concepts are a basis to further exchange with our military partners on their vision and need for future military operations.”
The advanced concepts build on Airbus’ prior experience with military rotorcraft and high-speed flight demonstration programmes such as the X3 and Racer models.
The compound configuration is intended to deliver higher speeds than existing designs while extending operational capabilities.
Features such as rapid acceleration and deceleration and fast climb or descent have been confirmed in flight evaluations involving military pilots under the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies programme. Flight-test data from these activities forms the foundation for Airbus’ NGRC offering.
