Airbus Helicopters has submitted a dual-pronged industrial proposal to meet the requirements of NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) program, offering allies a choice between evolutionary design and radical performance.
Partnering with Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, and MBDA, the European manufacturer has outlined two distinct concepts. The first is a high-performance conventional helicopter, designed for reliability and interoperability. The second is a high-speed compound rotorcraft, leveraging technology from Airbus’s pioneering X3 and Racer demonstrators. This configuration uses wings and propellers to achieve significantly higher speeds and agility than traditional designs, including rapid acceleration and steep climb profiles validated by military pilots during recent flight tests.
Rather than viewing these as competing solutions, Airbus emphasizes their complementarity. The two platforms are designed to share common systems, training protocols, weapons, and maintenance procedures. This “commonality” approach, powered by a Modular Open System Architecture, aims to deliver long-term affordability and logistical simplicity for NATO nations operating mixed fleets.
According to Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even, the concepts serve as a foundation for dialogue with military partners. He stressed that Europe must be capable of proposing a sovereign platform that balances cost, availability, and operational output, whether in conventional or high-speed form. The proposal reflects Airbus’s broader roadmap, which includes incremental upgrades to current in-service models like the NH90, H145M, and H225M, while also investing in disruptive technologies such as uncrewed teaming, multi-domain connectivity, and enhanced survivability.
The study contract, awarded by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in July 2024, tasks Airbus with exploring design, development, and support frameworks for a future medium multi-role helicopter. By offering both a proven conventional path and a leap-ahead high-speed option, Airbus aims to position itself at the center of NATO’s long-term rotorcraft strategy, ensuring the alliance’s next-generation fleet is both cutting-edge and sustainable.
