Airbus Helicopters has revealed two concepts designed to meet the requirements of NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities (NGRC) program.
The concepts, developed in partnership with Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and MBDA, include what the manufacturer describes as “a high-performance conventional helicopter,” as well as a novel high-speed compound concept.
“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,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“These two concepts are a basis to further exchange with our military partners on their vision and need for future military operations.”
The design of the compound concept leverages Airbus’s experience in developing high-speed compound aircraft — originally in the form of its X3 demonstrator, and more recently with its ongoing Racer program.
The Racer demonstrator, developed in the frame of the European Research Clean Sky 2 project, exceeded its level speed objective of 407 m/h (220 knots) in June 2024 — less than two months after its first flight.
One of the key elements in the design of the Racer was its use of box wings, which helped improve hover efficiency while providing 50 percent lift in forward flight. However, the NGRC concept appears to show these have been replaced with single swept-back wings that emerge from the base of the cowling.
In a press release announcing the concepts, Airbus Helicopters said modularity and simplicity are core tenets of its NGRC proposal. It said the two designs will be highly connected and will share commonalities in maintenance, training, weapons and systems.
