Airbus Reveals Two Next Gen NATO Rotorcraft Studies

Airbus Helicopters has revealed two advanced rotorcraft designs it is pursuing for the ongoing NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities (NGRC) initiative, complementing proposals being drawn up by rival OEMs Leonardo Helicopters and Sikorsky under the program’s Study 5 phase. Each company may present up to two solutions for evaluation before a draft request for proposal, planned for this May, is issued.

Of the two renderings published one is described by Airbus as a “high-performance conventional helicopter,” and the other, as a “novel high-speed compound concept.” The second appears to leverage the additional wings and propellers of Airbus’ Racer (Rapid And Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) technology demonstrator, which reached 240 knots in level flight in April 2025.

Nevertheless, Airbus stresses that its two concepts are “highly connected and will share commonalities in terms of maintenance, training, weapons and systems,” with “modularity and simplicity… core tenets of the Airbus NGRC proposal.” 

Racer was launched in 2014 under the European Union's Clean Aviation Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, with the primary aim of validating the aircraft’s novel hybrid compound architecture. In October 2025, Clean Aviation noted it had “multiple patents filed to support future applications in both military and civil markets,” including an ENGRT program to assess Racer’s architecture for “meeting specific military performance requirements.”  

NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Requirements

In October 2020, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) launched the NGRC project as one of what it called 32 'high visibility projects' to address upcoming multi-role rotorcraft requirements. This included an initial in-service ambition of 2035-2040.  Participating nations include France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with all but Greece “committed to identifying a single preferred solution for the replacement of these capabilities by the end of 2027,” explained NGRC.

Airbus Helicopters’ concepts build on the receipt of a July 2024 contract, which saw NSPA task the French airframer with leading a NGRC study. Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, and MDBA are also collaborating on Airbus’ concept studies.