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NATO Next Gen Rotorcraft (NGRC) capability list

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Old 13th May 2021 | 23:04
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NATO Next Gen Rotorcraft (NGRC) capability list

Well, this should be interesting to watch!

https://verticalmag.com/news/nato-gi...en-rotorcraft/

NATO gives industry aim points for next-gen rotorcraft

BY DAWN ZOLDI | MAY 13, 2021Estimated reading time 6 minutes, 6 seconds.

NATO has published an unclassified list of required and desired attributes for its Next Gen Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) and has invited industry to pitch ideas for meeting those requirements and partner with the alliance to build the future speedy vertical-lift aircraft.

NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) will host its industry day, currently scheduled for Sept. 20-21 in Capellen, Luxembourg. The agency recently launched an open invitation to the defense alliance’s 30 nations seeking industrial collaborators to manufacture relevant capabilities for the aircraft and its systems with these required and desired attributes. The deadline to register was May 12, but missing the cut will not preclude a company from future involvement in the project, according to NATO officials. The invite states the event “is neither a pre-qualification nor a solicitation conference.”

The NH90 is one of several European military helicopters set to retire from service in the 2030s. Airbus Helicopters/Patrick Heinz Photo
The alliance’s procurement website lists May 12 as a tentative date for an official request for proposals. Alongside an open invitation to the upcoming industry day is a May 6 document listing a fairly specific list of 25 required and desired attributes the future aircraft should meet, some of which track the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift initiatives and requirements and the Navy’s recently released Unmanned Campaign Plan.

The 15 required attributes include the ability to act as an optionally unmanned/remotely piloted vehicle; interior room enough for 12 to 16 combat-ready troops; and configurable to perform special operations, anti-surface warfare/electronic warfare, search-and-rescue (SAR), personnel recovery and medevac missions.

NGRC must have a load lifting capacity of at least 4,000 kilograms (8,819 pounds), a range of 900 nautical miles (1,650 kilometers), combat radius of 400 nm with 30 minutes of loiter time, a cruise airspeed of at least 180 knots and a max gross takeoff weight up to 17,000 kg (37,479 lb.). NATO wants all that at a flyaway cost of no more than€35 million ($42 million) and a cost per flight hour no greater than €10,000 ($12,087).

The list of 10 desired attributes runs from specifying certain mission equipment to a two-minute automated rapid start, fly-by-wire controls, and air-to-air refueling capability.

These specs and the upcoming industry day mark an important milestone for the NGRC program and follow a few other recent ones. In October 2020, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and the U.K. signed a letter of intent to develop the aircraft. In March 2021, this same multinational team finalized initial NGRC requirements and desired attributes noted above. They also entered a legally binding agreement to establish a joint office for the project, expected to be operational in 2022.

The NATO Industry Advisory Group (NIAG), a high-level consultative and advisory body of senior officials from member countries, also expects to complete two ongoing studies by 2023. Started in May and running in parallel, these two-year studies focus on the survivability of aircraft in a contest environment involving a near peer competitor like Russia or China.

The first addresses the effectiveness of NGRC systems against surface-based air defense threats. The other focuses on, among other things, counter-air systems and resilient command and control architectures that can survive cyber and electronic warfare attacks.

Jose Rosa Dias, the chief engineer and chair of NATO’s Joint Capability Group for Vertical Lift (JCGVL), which coordinates research and development and acquisition efforts for the NGRC effort, outlined six previous NIAG studies at a recent Vertical Flight Society Forum 77 event on May 11. These informed NATO’s recently published requirements for the vehicle.

Patrick Collins, senior fellow at the U.K. Ministry of Defence emphasized that NATO’s old way of doing business will not work. For instance, the NH90 took 25 years from concept development to the first aircraft deliveries, he said during the VFS Forum.

The sense of urgency to rapidly develop and field NGRC to support ground troops looms large, as the majority of NATO rotorcraft — the H-60 Black Hawk, SA330 Puma, NH90, V-22 Osprey, and AW101 — draw closer to their projected 2030 retirement date. NGRC platforms must enter service before legacy systems time out. Given this recent forward movement, NATO seems to be fast-tracking efforts to field the NGRC.
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Old 4th February 2024 | 14:58
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Lockheed Martin leads OSA study

https://verticalmag.com/news/lockhee...xuIxBdAzOa-pns

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Old 23rd May 2024 | 21:39
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Six bidders face off

Six bidders herewith face /stand off

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicop...Oz0qaEs0HugOI_

And the interesting bit in the article 'However, there are three outsiders in the mix as well, with bids received from Lithuanian company Jetcopter, Canada-based Bornea Dynamics, and, somewhat surprisingly, Deloitte – the international accountancy and consultancy firm.'



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Old 24th May 2024 | 12:11
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Because the NH-90 was such a brilliant success...let's do it again but this time we'll get it right.
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Old 24th May 2024 | 13:35
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The specifications are essentially met by the Bell FLRAA with an option to permit a RACER derived design. X2 is dead, despite Sikorsky’s official offering. Leonardo has already started modifying a 609 with a new wing, fixed engines, new drive system, and a V-tail in an exercise in convergent design evolution.
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Old 26th July 2024 | 14:11
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Airbus Leads concept

https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/p...bility-concept



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Old 26th July 2024 | 23:09
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Two tiny props magically plopped on the horizontal stabilizer at the extreme aft of the aircraft? Yeah, looks like some AI generated nonsense to me.
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Old 27th July 2024 | 09:19
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Sikorsky

https://news.lockheedmartin.com/Lock...7EuZIY4gSJXEWA




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Last edited by chopper2004; 28th July 2024 at 17:05.
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Old 23rd February 2026 | 15:38
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Airbus Helicopters NGRC concept

https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/p...r-nato-studies

'Airbus' proposal to NATO, developed in collaboration with RTX businesses Collins Aerospace and Raytheon, and MBDA, includes two concepts: a high-performance conventional helicopter alongside a novel high-speed compound concept, ensuring operational efficiency and fleet complementarity for military partners. Modularity and simplicity are core tenets of the Airbus NGRC proposal. The design philosophy aims to deliver platforms that are simple to manufacture, maintain, and upgrade, ensuring long-term affordability, thanks to its Modular Open System Architecture approach. The two concepts will be highly connected and will share commonalities in terms of maintenance, training, weapons and systems.'



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Old 24th February 2026 | 18:52
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Erm....
"The design philosophy aims to deliver platforms that are simple to manufacture, maintain, and upgrade, ensuring long-term affordability, thanks to its Modular Open System Architecture approach. The two concepts will be highly connected and will share commonalities in terms of maintenance, training, weapons and systems."
​​​​​​​Wasn't that the sales blurb for the NH90?
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Old 25th February 2026 | 05:47
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Originally Posted by Rigga
Erm....
"The design philosophy aims to deliver platforms that are simple to manufacture, maintain, and upgrade, ensuring long-term affordability, thanks to its Modular Open System Architecture approach. The two concepts will be highly connected and will share commonalities in terms of maintenance, training, weapons and systems."
Wasn't that the sales blurb for the NH90?
Isn‘t it the same „blurb“ for all 21st Century helicopters? 😄
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Old 26th May 2026 | 19:51
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Airbus Helicopters pushing Canada

Interesting, AIrbus Helicopters pushing Canada into collaborating on the NGRC



https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/20...opter-project/.



Interesting as Canada and France been having closer military ties in over a decade



https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archiv...ench-navy.html



and the RCAF CH-146 Griffins embarked on amphibious warship ia first, also with SkyAlyne rotary wing training with Airbus Helicopters CT-135 Juno as a first for the Canadians.



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Old 1st June 2026 | 08:53
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Originally Posted by chopper2004
Interesting, AIrbus Helicopters pushing Canada into collaborating on the NGRC




Interesting as Canada and France been having closer military ties in over a decade



and the RCAF CH-146 Griffins embarked on amphibious warship ia first, also with SkyAlyne rotary wing training with Airbus Helicopters CT-135 Juno as a first for the Canadians.



​cheers
You've slightly misread that article, Airbus are saying that Canada might join "other" "new" European Rotorcraft programmes.

Canada have been part of the NATO NGRC MoU since March 2024. Airbus certainly aren't "pushing" them to join in, they joined because they need similar things to the other NGRC Nations.

I can't post a link but there are many other sources available.

I'm no expert on internal Canadian politics and policies, but its probably indicative of their drive and wish to not be so reliant on their Southern neighbours?
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Old 3rd June 2026 | 17:44
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Originally Posted by chopper2004
Interesting, AIrbus Helicopters pushing Canada into collaborating on the NGRC



https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/20...opter-project/.



Interesting as Canada and France been having closer military ties in over a decade



https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archiv...ench-navy.html



and the RCAF CH-146 Griffins embarked on amphibious warship ia first, also with SkyAlyne rotary wing training with Airbus Helicopters CT-135 Juno as a first for the Canadians.



​cheers
I'm not sure if this is related, but this guy was in Ottawa yesterday:

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11420159
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Old 3rd June 2026 | 18:39
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Looks like Norway is going to keep their 412’s and is scrapping their replacement with the latest HH-60 which had a cost of $300 Mil+ per. After the Canadian Cyclone fiasco Norway probably doubted both schedule and cost and decided to wait for the NGRC or MV-75. Maybe they should look at upgrading their 412’s like the Canadians are doing to bridge the gap.

https://www.flightglobal.com/archive...er-priorities/
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