How ENGRT meets future NATO capabilities: Designing a future military helicopter

What will a helicopter need to be decisive on the battlefield, next decade and beyond? European stakeholders are already working together to design the military helicopter of the future and Airbus is playing a key role. 

ENGRT is the European Next Generation Rotorcraft. “There has been an international NATO-led initiative to scope a future helicopter that will encompass the most advanced technology that is both currently available and will soon become available,” explains Ralf Weber, Campaign Manager at Airbus Helicopters. “This project is Europe’s response. It should be flying by the end of the next decade.” 

A design for European security

The scale of ENGRT II is reflected in its backing. Supported by 12 EU Member States, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland and Spain, the project aims to mature critical technologies required to protect Europe in highly contested environments. Airbus Helicopters, with Leonardo, co-leads and coordinates a 53-member consortium of industrial and institutional partners who each bring a wealth of technological and industrial expertise. 

According to Weber, any blueprint will need to blend a range of features as European militaries believe the main needs for the ENGRT is operational durability, easy maintenance and survivability. The ability to operate in areas exposed to enemy weaponry is a particular priority, based on current conflicts. “This is what we see in Ukraine,” says Weber. “When discussing with our home nations partners, where we see interest is in increasing the survivability of the crew and the machine. So we have to find the sweet spot: a machine that is highly sophisticated in terms of its systems: its mission system, its avionics, sensors and even self protection - reducing pilot workload and allowing them to focus on the mission. Then it has to be really manoeuvrable for tactical flight – for example, flying a single-pilot tactical flight thirty feet above the ground at 130 knots at night. That’s something that is really challenging, and it will also be an important part of the future role of this helicopter.” 

In addition to maximising the future helicopter’s survivability Weber highlights maintenance as another key driver. “It also has to be robust and resilient from a Support and Services point of view. Ready for conflict. Our objective is to reduce the maintenance burden for this next-generation machine by 50% compared to existing machines, and really maintain it with standard tools and as small a logistical footprint as possible.” 

“Digital systems are coming forward, like open system architecture, where machines become much more versatile, much more reconfigurable in a much shorter time, where replenishment of stocks, etc., works completely differently. Our nations in Europe and the US, NATO, are going in this direction, and we have to adapt to that. So that’s the way we’re working on a systems level for this next platform.”

Vital importance: Future military helicopter avionics, connectivity, & crewed-uncrewed teaming

Weber underlines that the project is crucial for several reasons. “Firstly,” he notes “technology is advancing rapidly, and combat is changing in the way of being more connected, multi-domain, and increasingly connected to the whole combat zone in which you operate, via satellites or even looking beyond. Today, our helicopters are one vector of a mission, and we want them to become one part of a whole combat system that can be used in a multitude of ways. So this will bring the systems that are aboard – and the connectivity – to another dimension.”

This then ultimately leads the European nations involved in the project to aim for a consensus or compromise of what they want this rotorcraft to look like. “What will the military need in conflicts between a very connected, specialised machine in a multi-role environment versus something that is mainly transporting people?” asks Weber. “We are talking about drones, but not only connectivity between one helicopter and one drone, but moving towards a multitude of drones, so controlling many drones while still being fully connected to the battlefield.”

That in turn leads to wider questions (and according to Weber also answers) for military vertical lift operations. “We have seen over recent years a big discussion about whether the crewed helicopter platform still has a role to play on battlefields fifteen or twenty years from now” he says. “And the answer is yes. We’ve seen it in current conflicts. The answer is definitely yes. As long as you transport troops, piloted aircraft are always preferable and a human in the loop on-site will always play an important role in our way of thinking about conflicts. That’s why crewed helicopters will continue to play a role.”

European cooperation driving the future

In addition to defining the scope for the continent’s next military helicopter, this European cooperation also continues to strengthen Europe’s defence and security infrastructure. “As the EU member states continue to discuss among themselves their future needs and ways of cooperating to improve this European pillar inside the defence alliance. So it’s strengthening Europe, and it’s strengthening a European response to current threats,” emphasises Weber.

Being such an integral part of that project enables Airbus Helicopters to take stock and define its strategy. “I think it’s a real opportunity to look concretely at where we want to be by the end of the next decade and what concrete steps may be taken to shape our future,” says Weber. “These projects show us where our customers want to go and it’s up to us to help them shape this.”

The ENGRT project is separated into phases, the first of which finished at the end of 2025. Airbus is leading the second phase of the ENGRT project that started early 2026. Lasting three years and co-funded by the European Union, the new phase of the project represents a decisive transition from a Research and Technology into a Research and Development project.

During this period, an analysis of technological readiness levels (TRL) of current technology was done, establishing a baseline for elements such as open system architecture (OSA) and teaming assets with drones. The second phase of ENGRT involves increasing the TRLs. Weber explains “This means that by the end of ENGRT II, for example, we will have an OSA test bench where we can experiment, see how everything works together, and build from there for future developments.” Weber notes that the definition of the new machine is dependent on discussions between the European Commission and partner nations. 

“The idea is to ensure that Airbus Helicopters’ products, whether present or future, are ready for a multi-domain battlefield,” states Weber. “So, there is an opportunity for a new platform, but also to improve and accelerate the evolution of other Airbus Helicopter rotorcraft with new technology.”

The project’s position is at a key juncture between the present and future. It will impact concepts as crucial as the fabric of Europe’s defence and security, not to mention the continent’s cooperation and interdependence. Yet it also serves as a guiding light for Airbus Helicopters’ priorities, providing a technological roadmap that will lead to delivering what the company’s operators need to keep their citizens safe.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is ENGRT? 

ENGRT stands for ‘European Next Generation Rotorcraft. It is Europe’s response to a request from NATO to design a new military helicopter to respond to future military needs.

How is Airbus Helicopters involved? 

Airbus Helicopters is co-leading the project, helping design the new machine and establishing what technology will be required to deliver it. 

When will the project be finished?

The European next generation rotorcraft should fly for the first time before the end of the next decade.