EURA's new engine would power the eventual NH90 replacement.
European engine heavyweights MTU Aero Engines and Safran Helicopter Engines signaled their effort to develop and produce a powerplant for a future European military helicopter is slowly making progress with the creation of a joint venture.
The industrial partners said June 26 they have signed a cooperation agreement to create the 50-50-owned EURA company, standing for European Military Rotorcraft Engine Alliance. EURA will be led by an MTU executive and co-located with Safran Helicopter Engines headquarters in Bordes, France. The announcement follows an agreement signed a year-ago to form the partnership.
The JV is modeled on the tie-up between the two companies to develop an engine for the France-German-Spanish next-generation combat aircraft through the European Military Engine Team (EUMET). That JV includes participation from ITP Aero to include Spanish industry.
The helicopter partnership is largely focused on addressing requirements under the European Defense Fund-supported EU Next-Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) project which envisages an aircraft entering service by 2040. The EURA partners said they are striving for an engine to deliver longer range, higher speed, greater availability and better maneuverability to the platform.
The companies said they are pursuing an all-European design and will work with industrial and technology providers from other countries in Europe.
“This 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 Cedric Goubet said.
The new helicopter engine would be Europe's response to the GE Aerospace T901, a 3,000-shp engine. Europe aims for the NGRC to replace aircraft such as the NH90 and UH-60.
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