Safran, MTU team up to power Europe’s next-gen military helicopter

PARIS — France’s Safran and Germany’s MTU Aero Engines created a joint venture to develop a new power unit for Europe’s next-generation military helicopter project.

The 50/50 venture will work on a “100% European engine” to power a military helicopter set to enter service by 2040, and will provide the core for a partnership with industrial firms from several other European countries, the companies said in a joint statement.

The companies said the future heavy engine will be “significantly” more efficient with lower operating and maintenance costs, and allow for faster and more maneuverable helicopters with increased range. Safran and MTU are members of the Airbus Helicopters-led European Next Generation Rotorcraft consortium, which was awarded €40 million by the European Defense Fund in 2021 to study future vertical-takeoff needs and capabilities.

The joint venture “will enable us to start developing new technologies such as hybrid-electric propulsion and high-temperature materials, to meet the specifications of future helicopter projects,” Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Cédric Goubet said in the statement.

The new joint venture, called EURA for European Military Rotorcraft Engine Alliance, will be based in Bordes in France at the Safran Helicopter Engines headquarters, and its CEO will come from within MTU, the companies said. Creating EURA will encourage a future call from the European Defense Fund for military helicopter engines, to which Safran and MTU would respond via the new joint venture, the companies said.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency, meanwhile, is working on its Next Generation Rotorcraft Program to develop a new-generation medium-lift helicopter, and in December awarded a first study on a new engine for the rotorcraft to GE Aerospace.

The European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation scheme last year kicked off yet another project called the Next Generation Medium Helicopter which seeks to “provide coherent solutions for future EU rotorcraft capabilities” though both new platforms as well as upgrades of existing ones, particularly the NH90, and prepare the European next-generation rotorcraft program.

Safran and MTU are already working together in a joint venture with ITP Aero to develop a next-generation engine for the Future Combat Air System. Safran supplies helicopters engines to Airbus and Leonardo, while MTU has been a partner for Safran on the power plant for the Tiger attack helicopter and with GE Aerospace on the engine for the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter.

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

巴黎——法国赛峰集团和德国MTU航空发动机公司成立了一家合资企业，为欧洲下一代军用直升机项目开发新型动力装置。

双方各占50%股份的合资企业将致力于研发“100%欧洲制造的发动机”，为计划于2040年投入使用的军用直升机提供动力，并将为与来自其他几个欧洲国家的工业公司建立合作关系奠定核心基础。两家公司在一份联合声明中表示。

两家公司表示，未来的重型发动机将“显著”提高效率，降低运营和维护成本，并使直升机能够更快、更灵活、航程更远。赛峰集团和MTU公司都是由空客直升机公司牵头的欧洲下一代旋翼机联盟的成员。该联盟于2021年获得欧洲防务基金4000万欧元的拨款，用于研究未来垂直起降的需求和能力。

赛峰直升机发动机公司首席执行官塞德里克·古贝在声明中表示，合资企业“将使我们能够开始开发混合动力推进和高温材料等新技术，以满足未来直升机项目的规格要求”。

据两家公司称，这家名为EURA（欧洲军用旋翼机发动机联盟）的新合资企业将设在法国博尔德的赛峰直升机发动机公司总部，其首席执行官将来自MTU公司内部。两家公司表示，EURA的成立将有助于推动欧洲防务基金未来对军用直升机发动机的招标，届时赛峰和MTU将通过这家新合资企业参与竞标。

与此同时，北约支持与采购局正在推进其下一代旋翼机计划，以开发新一代中型运输直升机，并在 12 月将旋翼机新发动机的第一项研究授予了通用电气航空航天公司。

欧盟的永久结构性合作计划去年启动了另一个名为“下一代中型直升机”的项目，旨在通过新平台以及对现有平台（特别是NH90）的升级，“为欧盟未来的旋翼机能力提供连贯的解决方案”，并为欧洲下一代旋翼机计划做好准备。

赛峰集团和MTU公司已与ITP Aero公司成立合资企业，共同开发未来作战空中系统（FCA）的下一代发动机。赛峰集团为空客和莱昂纳多公司供应直升机发动机，而MTU公司曾与赛峰集团合作开发“虎”式攻击直升机的动力装置，并与通用电气航空航天公司合作开发西科斯基CH-53K重型运输直升机的发动机。

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。