Airbus Showcases Concepts for NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities Study

Airbus Helicopters recently announced new concepts to meet requirements for the NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities (NGRC) study requirements.

Airbus collaborated with Collins Aerospace and Raytheon (both RTX businesses) on a proposal that presented NATO with the following two concepts:

• High-performance traditional helicopter
• All-new high-speed compound concept

Both concepts were designed to be connected and have the same or similar requirements for:

• Maintenance
• Weapons
• Training
• Systems

The Airbus NGRC proposal was designed to prioritize keeping solutions simple and modular, with a Modular Open System Architecture approach. Airbus noted that this approach could make activities like manufacturing, maintenance and upgrades easier for operators and help to control costs.

Based on Airbus’ expertise in high-speed flight and military rotorcraft—like the Racer and X3—these new concepts were created to increase speed and extend the flight envelope.

The new concept also added more wings and propellers, which were tested by military pilots during the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies program.

CEO of Airbus Helicopters 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.”

Even continued, “These two concepts are a basis to further exchange with our military partners on their vision and need for future military operations.”

“Airbus Helicopters is actively working on the future of its military range,” noted Even, “On the one hand, we are preparing the evolution of our legacy range with a continuous improvement policy.”

Even added, “With the Block 1 and 2 studies, we have a long-term NH90 evolution roadmap. Our dual product range, the H145M, the H160M, and the H225M, is setting new standards for military helicopters in terms of affordability, connectivity, and maintenance.”

Even also listed the multi-platform technologies Airbus Helicopters is using to develop its next-gen rotorcraft systems, including:

• Battle damage repair
• Connectivity
• Crewed-uncrewed teaming
• Cybersecurity
• Multi-domain collaborative combat
• Survivability