European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine
European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine
Published:
July 2, 2025
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Updated:
July 2, 2025
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Editorial Team
Safran Helicopter Engines, MTU Aero Engines, and Avio Aero have sealed a fresh cooperation accord that lays the groundwork for the European Next Generation Helicopter Engine program, widely known as ENGHE. Signed in Paris on 29 June 2025, the deal frames an equal-share development model that draws on the three firms’ complementary strengths. Each partner will handle roughly one-third of the design load and will rely on its own national industrial base, keeping the supply chain inside Europe and trimming reliance on non-European parts.
The partners say the engine is destined for a new range of military rotorcraft expected to enter service around 2040. ENGHE sits at the heart of broader European future-lift plans such as the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) and the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) roadmap. Both tracks target faster cruise, longer range, and lower life-cycle cost than today’s medium- and heavy-lift fleets. MTU will lead core design, Safran will take charge of the hot section, and Avio Aero will focus on gearbox and accessory units. According to industry sources, an industrial split of this kind keeps intellectual property balanced and shields any single firm from a disproportionate financial burden.
Work will unfold under the banner of EURA – the European Military Rotorcraft Engine Alliance – first unveiled by MTU and Safran in 2023 and now expanded to include Avio Aero. The three executives who signed the latest accord argue the move sends a clear message on European autonomy: a military engine conceived, built, and supported on the continent. Michael Schreyögg of MTU stated that the deal “locks in a true continental supply chain” and reduces the risk of future export controls imposed by outside powers.
Defense officials confirm that several defense ministries have already written letters of support for the project. They view ENGHE as a hedge against tightening U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and see the technology as a follow-up to Europe’s joint engine work on the Tiger and NH90 fleets. The industrial trio intends to file a joint bid to the European Defence Fund (EDF) call for heavy-helicopter engine research this October. If approved, EDF money will reduce early risk and shorten time to first ground run, which EURA plans for 2033.
ENGHE targets not only higher thrust but also lower through-life cost. The design baseline calls for a pressure ratio above 20:1 and an overall component efficiency above 85 percent. A twin-channel FADEC will run on open avionics standards to allow easy fleet-wide updates. In addition, the team has reserved power and space for a 300 kW electric boost motor, paving the way for a parallel-hybrid architecture once battery densities improve. Cédric Goubet of Safran notes that a hybrid module of that size could cut fuel burn by about ten percent on low-altitude tactical profiles.
Key technical goals now under review include:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) clearance at 100 percent blend
A ceramic-matrix composite (CMC) high-pressure turbine shroud rated to 1,450 °C
A 30,000-hour on-wing target before first major overhaul
Full-authority condition-based maintenance with embedded vibration and pressure sensors
Italy-based Avio Aero brings proven turboshaft geartrain skills taken from the GE T700 and GE38 families. Safran contributes a large installed base of Ardiden and Makila engines, while MTU leverages compressor proficiency from its Eurofighter EJ200 work. A unified digital twin will harmonize these strands. MTU engineers will lead the twin-spool compressor map, Safran analysts will handle combustion modeling, and Avio Aero technicians will validate gearbox load cases. All three have agreed to share test data in real time through a secure cloud node that sits inside a NATO-accredited network.
The engine’s intended hosts inside the NGRC framework include two platforms: a tilt-rotor design led by Airbus and a compound coaxial demonstrator championed by Leonardo. Program insiders judge that ENGHE can scale from 3,500 kW to 5,000 kW by swapping the free-power turbine module and adjusting compressor stages. That growth margin allows the same core to support assault, utility, and special-operations variants without full-scale requalification.
Our analysis shows that a common powerplant could save participating nations up to 18 percent in life-cycle cost compared with a mixed-fleet engine approach. The figure stems from aggregated data on spare-parts pools, depot-level maintenance, and software update cycles. A single digital backbone means each software release will propagate across the entire engine population, slashing certification fees and downtimes.
The ENGHE schedule runs in four blocks. Block 0 covers concept validation and engine-aerodynamics research and should end in early 2027. Block 1 handles component demos – compressor rigs, combustor sector tests, and high-temp material coupons – by 2029. Block 2 runs the first complete engine on a ground stand in 2033, while Block 3 installs the powerplant on a flying testbed around 2035. Parallel hybridization and SAF testing sit outside the main line and will progress as funding allows.
Safran’s production baseline assumes a modular assembly path split across existing sites. Turbine disks will come from Safran’s Anzures plant in France; MTU will deliver compressors from Munich; Avio Aero will machine gearbox housings in Brindisi. Final assembly and acceptance testing will occur in Bordes before engines ship to airframers. Firms have earmarked roughly 1,200 new jobs across the three countries. Apprenticeship intake is weighted to digital manufacturing skills, such as additive-layer repair and closed-loop machining.
Europe’s rotorcraft fleet faces mounting sustainment bills. Average fleet age exceeds twenty years for heavy types like the CH-53G and EH101. Service budgets must now choose between expensive life-extension kits or new-build aircraft. ENGHE pushes strongly for new-build airframes because the engine’s thermal margins permit higher cruise speeds without sacrificing parts life. For example, mission planners state that an NGRC assault helicopter powered by ENGHE could fly 476 km without refuel while carrying a ten-person squad. Current NH90s fall short of that range.
Electric hybrid support also draws attention. Airbus Helicopters is exploring an electro-turbo compound system for its High-Speed Helicopter (HSH) concept. The ENGHE map leaves room to add a fifth torque path for an electric generator. This path would turn the engine into an onboard power unit, eliminating separate APUs and freeing internal volume for fuel or mission equipment.
European legislators look favorably on the project because it aligns with decarbonization rules coming into force after 2030. Under the EU’s Fit-for-55 package, defense aviation must begin tracking its carbon-intensity index. ENGHE’s SAF compatibility and hybrid option directly address that policy. At the same time, the program strengthens small- and medium-enterprise suppliers. Italian forging houses, German sealing-system firms, and French sensor makers have lined up to bid on subsystems due to be tendered next spring.
Conversely, transatlantic rivals are pushing their own advanced turboshafts. GE has flight-tested the T901 for the U.S. Army’s FLRAA competition and Pratt & Whitney continues concept work on the PW900X. Yet ENGHE managers stress that a European solution avoids ITAR delays and secures full configuration control. They also note that the new engine’s hybrid capability stems from European battery and power-electronics know-how, ensuring technology sovereignty over a critical future domain.
Once the EDF evaluation wraps up in early 2026, the consortium expects to secure a multi-year framework covering €3 billion in research and development. Roughly €1.6 billion comes from the fund, with the remainder split among national budgets. Final procurement decisions will sit with customer states in 2032 when airframe designs mature enough for engine integration.
Progress metrics will be strict. The contract calls for at least 2,000 hours of rig testing by the end of Block 1 and a demonstrated 25-percent thrust-to-weight improvement against today’s reference engines. EURA plans to exceed both goals by leveraging CMC liners, blisk technology, and optimized cooling flows. Tooling work has already begun on a full-scale combustor rig scheduled for hot-fire in July 2027.
A supply-chain resilience board will meet quarterly. Its charter covers early detection of raw-material shortages, common cybersecurity standards, and dual-source policies for all critical single points. Safran and MTU have applied lessons from pandemic disruptions to their inventory models. They plan to hold six months of safety stock for castings and forgings and will maintain digital line-of-balance dashboards visible to customer authorities.
The talent pipeline also gets attention. EURA will back postgraduate research at universities in Aachen, Milan, and Bordeaux focused on high-speed gearbox dynamics and electric-machine cooling. Scholarships kick off this fall, and winning teams will gain access to engine test data sets for academic use once the proprietary window closes.
Looking farther out, ENGHE could feed civilian derivatives. Avio Aero engineers believe a downsized core could form the basis for a 3-MW class turbogenerator suited to regional hybrid-electric aircraft. Market studies pre-briefed to the European Commission show a potential demand of five hundred such units by 2045.
The European Defence Agency sees the project as a test case for deeper collaboration across propulsion, avionics, and weapons. A senior official told this publication that “joint propulsion work often unlocks cooperation on mission kits and training” because engines touch every element of fleet sustainment.
Defense-Aerospace editorial team notes the absence of major political friction inside the partnership. Past Franco-German engine projects sometimes stalled over export-control rules or budget timing. This deal appears smoother, in part because all three companies carry roughly equal workshare and none dominates governance.
Program watch points remain. The hybrid boost path relies on battery improvements that are outside EURA’s direct control. Cost risk also sits with supply-chain inflation, especially for CMC feedstock and nickel alloys. Still, executives insist buffer funds can absorb near-term swings, and fixed-price options sit inside the EDF filing.
A prototype control system will ship to a bench in Bordes next March. That milestone will lock down the engine-vehicle interface and give airframers twelve months to finalize fuselage layouts. A joint technology-readiness review follows in late 2026. Passing that gate releases long-lead funding for Block 2 hardware.
European helicopter crews have long requested more power in hot-and-high theaters without unacceptable fuel penalties. ENGHE answers that need while setting a foundation for future electric architectures. If the schedule holds, the first ENGHE-powered demonstrator could fly before the decade ends, marking Europe’s strongest bid yet for rotorcraft propulsion independence.
REFERENCE SOURCES
https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/avio-aero-partners-safran-and-mtu-aero-engines-power-europe-s-next-generation-military-helicopters-2025-06-18-0
https://www.mtu.de/newsroom/press/latest-press-releases/press-release-detail/safran-and-mtu-aero-engines-create-eura-joint-venture-to-power-the-next-generation-of-european-military-helicopters/
https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/european-industrial-team-eyes-helicopter-engine-demonstrator-2030s
https://defence-industry.eu/safran-mtu-and-avio-aero-to-jointly-develop-new-european-engine-for-future-military-rotorcraft/
The post European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine appeared first on defense-aerospace.
Safran Helicopter Engines, MTU Aero Engines, and Avio Aero have sealed a fresh cooperation accord that lays the groundwork for the European Next Generation Helicopter Engine program, widely known as ENGHE. Signed in Paris on 29 June 2025, the deal frames an equal-share development model that draws on the three firms’ complementary strengths. Each partner will handle roughly one-third of the design load and will rely on its own national industrial base, keeping the supply chain inside Europe and trimming reliance on non-European parts.
The post European Trio Safran, MTU Aero Engines & Avio Aero Partner on Next-Generation Military Helicopter Engine appeared first on defense-aerospace.
