NATO Grants Next-Generation Rotorcraft Concept Contracts to Airbus, Leonardo, and Lockheed Martin

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters to lead a concept study under the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project.

This project brings together participants to collaborate on the design, development, and delivery of a medium multi-role helicopter. Airbus is partnering with RTX’s Collins Aerospace and Raytheon businesses, as well as MBDA, for the 13-month study, which will analyze two integrated concepts of next-generation military rotorcraft.

“Participating in this NATO study for the next generation of military rotorcraft offers a unique opportunity to leverage our experience working with various European armed forces,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

“Our goal, together with our highly skilled partners, is to develop a European solution that fulfills both the needs of NATO armed forces and guarantees industrial sovereignty for our European nations while maintaining key engineering competencies,” he added. “This project will be fully interoperable with other NATO assets.

With our experience in both civil and military helicopter design, we are confident that Airbus Helicopters has the right cost-effective, high-performance, and operationally efficient solutions for the next generation of military rotorcraft.”

NSPA General Manager Stacy A. Cummings stated, “The launch of Concept Study #5 is a significant milestone for the NGRC concept stage activities, demonstrating NSPA’s dedication to meeting the challenge of next-generation medium lift for participating nations.

Our strategy to launch three parallel contracts awarded through competition maximizes industry expertise, opportunities, and engagement in the program, providing a broad range of potential concepts in the study results for our multinational customers.”

France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, and Italy are involved in the project through various partner companies. Each partner will contribute to the study in its area of expertise: helicopter design, systems integration, connectivity, weapons and effectors, avionics, and sensors.

The study will focus on high-performance rotorcraft. The concepts will be modular, multi-mission, and fully interoperable with NATO standards, featuring a high degree of connectivity and resilient communication systems.