The NATO Support and Procurement Agency has issued a Request for Proposal for the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) Concept Design phase.

Exploiting the knowledge gained through the earlier NGRC Concept Studies, this latest phase of the NGRC program will focus on establishing a harmonized operational and technical baseline with the 6 Participating Nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The baseline comprises of a set of Key Performance Parameters underpinning capability and supportability requirements, supplemented by a comprehensive range of operational mission scenarios.

This operational and technical baseline is the foundation of the RFP, launched on 31 July 2026, which invites four pre-qualified bidders to each propose up to 2 Concept Design solutions, complete with an offer for de-risking phase activities to mature the proposed concept design in an initial step of incremental development. Bids are expected in August 2027.

The RFP is the first of its kind at NSPA to be launched in accordance with the newly established ‘Acquisition by Qualified Options’ competitive mechanism, which will allow Nations to select one or more qualified solutions determined by NSPA’s best-value evaluation process.

Bid evaluation is planned to be completed by end-2027, when NSPA submits an evaluation summary report to Nations, including identification of the qualified options.

A key element of NSPA’s operational evaluation of the proposed Concept Design solutions will be delivered through digital trials in an in-house modelling & simulation environment, illustrating another example where the NGRC program is driving innovation. Development of the NGRC “digital lab” is progressing at pace, representing a first critical step in the Program's transition towards a fully digital engineering environment. By conducting operational analysis through digital means, NSPA will be able to execute highly sensitive analyses on new concepts and perform complex trade-off analyses on performance metrics. The vision is to continue the development of this capability to support the entire life cycle of the future NGRC platform(s).

“We are no longer just planning the future; we are building it. Through the revolutionary AQO mechanism and the power of our innovative digital labs, the NGRC Team is setting a new global standard for NATO acquisition. This is where excellence meets innovation to create a new legacy of interoperability” said Mr Cyril Heckel, NGRC Program Manager.

After a pre-qualification assessment held in 2025 Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, Boeing and Sikorsky have already started positioning their offerings for the multi-national replacement program.

The 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.