Airbus Helicopters has been given a contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to oversee a concept study within the framework of the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project, in which the involved parties pool their resources to work on the design, development, and delivery of a medium multi-role helicopter. For the 13-month study, Airbus is collaborating with MBDA, RTX’s Collins Aerospace and Raytheon divisions, and the latter will analyse two integrated ideas of next-generation military rotorcraft.
According to Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even, “this NATO study for next-generation military rotorcraft is a unique chance to leverage our experience with European armed forces. Our objective is to create a European response that satisfies NATO requirements and upholds Europe’s industrial sovereignty. With our armed forces and civil design expertise, we offer cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the next generation of military rotorcraft.”
“The launch of Concept Study #5 is a significant milestone for the NGRC concept stage activities,” stated Ms. Stacy A. Cummings, General Manager of NSPA, “and demonstrates NSPA’s dedication to meet the challenge of next generation medium lift for participating nations.” Our plan to start three concurrent contracts through competition fulfils our promise to maximize industry knowledge, opportunity, and program participation. It will also give our multinational clients access to a wide range of possible study themes.
High-performance, multi-mission rotorcraft are the focus of a NATO project to which France, Germany, the UK, the US, Ireland, and Italy are contributing. Each partner contributes knowledge in many domains, including avionics, systems integration, and helicopter design. The modular ideas will comply entirely with NATO criteria for interoperability.
Airbus is a top provider of military helicopters, such as the H225M, H145M, Tiger, and NH90, and is trusted by more than 140 armed forces worldwide. In addition, Airbus creates unmanned systems and manned-unmanned teams by utilizing its extensive experience in cooperative projects such as Next Generation Rotorcraft.
