Industry Concepts Refining NATO Future Rotorcraft Plans | Aviation Week Network

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Tony Osborne
November 21, 2025

Airbus proposal

Airbus’ proposal appears to draw on the company’s X3 technology, with the pusher propellers fitted mid-wing to make room for weapon pylons.

Credit: Airbus Helicopters/NSPA

As NATO sets out to define its next-generation rotorcraft needs, industry is proposing a variety of ambitious ideas from a massive advanced tiltrotor to compound helicopter configurations. The ideas will inform the upcoming concept design phase of the alliance’s Next-Generation Rotorcraft Capability…

Tony Osborne

Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines.

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