The European Heavy Lift Helicopter Program?
As the 2007 Paris Air Show drew to a close, France and Germany confirmed the rumors and signed a joint declaration of intent to set up a heavy-lift helicopter program. The French DGA procurement agency's announcement lists an intended in-service date of around 2020. The new machines would be designed to carry personnel, light armored vehicles, and/or cargo, with good performance under a wide range of conditions including hot weather and high altitudes (both of which reduce helicopter performance due to thinner air).
In terms of future force structure, these helicopters would replace Germany's aging CH-53G Mittlerer Transporthubschrauber, and offer France a heavy-lift helicopter option for its future force that would sit above its planned NH90s and/or AS 532 Cougars. Both countries would rely on the forthcoming Airbus A400M tactical cargo plane and its 35-tonne capacity for larger loads or longer distances.......
It is....likely that the new helicopter's planned capacity is 30,000 pounds. This would be about the capacity planned for the US Marines' new CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter under ideal conditions, and rather more than Boeing's new CH-47F Chinook.........
Rumors pick Eurocopter as lead contractor for the eventual program, as a subsidiary of the Franco-German EADS corporation. Sikorsky's recent release re: its European strategy, however, says that it is still in discussions with both countries, offering a helicopter that is either based on or uses many technologies from the USA's CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter program..........
France and Germany also intend to open this potential project to other European partner nations under the framework of the European Defence Agency (EDA), and to consider other non-EDA partner offers. As one might imagine, the EDA is very enthused about the project.