Airbus touts European alignment on NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability
22 January 2021
by Gareth Jennings
Airbus has touted a European alignment of effort in the development of a next-generation military medium-lift helicopter as a means of ensuring continued continental leadership in the global helicopter export market.
European NATO nations will have several medium-lift helicopter types that will be due for replacement from the mid-2030s, including the Leonardo Merlin pictured. Five nations have launched the NGRC project to satisfy this anticipated requirement. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Speaking at the virtual Royal Aeronautical Society Next-Generation Rotorcraft Conference on 21 January, Jerome Combe, Portfolio Policy & Strategy at Airbus Helicopters France, said that the NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme announced last year provides an opportunity for Airbus and Leonardo to come together to consolidate and cement Europe’s place at the top of the global helicopter market.