The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has begun concept studies for the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) program, which aims to develop a new vertical-lift solution to replace member states’ medium-lift multi-role helicopter fleets.
The NGRC program was officially launched in June 2022 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the U.K., France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands, who dedicated €26.7 million to the program’s initial budget.
Speaking at Global Defence Helicopter 2023 in Warsaw, Poland, on Oct. 19, Cyril Heckel, NGRC program manager at the NSPA, said about 40 attributes have been identified for the aircraft, together with 11 missions in a concept of operations.
“We expect to have some competitive advantage on the battlefield, for the pilot and the crews,” said Heckel. “We see that new things like artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, digital twinning — these are topics we expect will give us an advantage to develop the next capability.”
The aircraft will be optionally crewed, capable of carry 12 to 16 heavily-equipped troops, have a range of over 900 nautical miles (1,670 kilometers) in “combat configuration,” and a speed of at least 180 knots/330 kilometers per hour (and possibly over 220 knots/400 km/h).
“For NGRC nations, speed matters a lot, because we consider it gives a competitive operational advantage on the battlefield . . . against peer adversaries and in some low-level flight when you need to counter some defensive systems,” said Heckel.
The aircraft is expected to have a maximum takeoff weight in the range of 10 to 17 tons, allow for advanced teaming (with unmanned aerial systems), and have the ability to carry its own weapons.
The program team is looking for an availability rate of 75 percent, with a cost of under €35 million ($37 million) per aircraft, with a flight hour cost of between €5,000 and €10,000 ($5,300 and $10,600).
The missions range from attack to transport, including special operations, surface warfare and medevac.
“We have a wide scope of missions, and we also want to leverage the benefits of modularity for agencies,” said Heckel. “That means it can be helpful not only for land activities or in austere environments, but also for maritime environments.”
Heckel highlighted the importance of an open system architecture, including NGRC’s digital backbone — which would allow the upgrade and integration of new sensors and equipment to be easier and more cost-effective.
The NSPA now has a staff of 10 working on the concept stage of the NRGC program, with a director of acquisition set to be hired next year, and additional staff hired as the program progresses.
The agency has three studies open at the concept stage. The request for proposals (RFP) for the first of these is for a concept study into current and future solutions for the aircraft’s powerplant. This could include advances in gas turbine technology, or the use of electric, hydrogen or hybrid engines.
Heckel described this initial phase of concept studies – which will run to the end of 2025 — as the “first chapter” of the NGRC story.
“I would anticipate that we should have some intermediate concept design studies before going into the development activities,” he said. “The next few years is the first chapter… then we will open a new book, we will have new participants, [and] new industry involvement.”
The NGRC is expected to enter service between 2035 and 2040.
Canada is set to join the initial six participant nations in the program, and Heckel said he expected this to happen “before the end of the year.”
