An Irish-based company will play a role in a concept study for the development of a new helicopter for the Nato military alliance.
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said its helicopter division, Airbus Helicopters, had been awarded a contract by the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to lead a concept study for a new medium-role helicopter.
“France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Italy are involved in the project via the different partner companies,” Airbus said in statement. “Each partner will contribute to the study in its area of expertise: helicopter design, systems integration, connectivity, weapons and effectors, avionics and sensors. The study will focus on high-performance rotorcraft. The concepts will be modular and multimission, and fully interoperable with Nato standards, with a high degree of connectivity and resilient communication system.”
A spokesman for the aircraft company said it had mentioned Ireland in its statement “because part of the studies related to the project led by Airbus will be conducted by Rockwell Collins Ireland”.
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In 2018, Rockwell Collins was bought by United Technologies and now operates as Collins Aerospace.
Collins Aerospace has two operations in Ireland, in Shannon and in Cork. The company says on its website that it has been in Ireland since 1988 and that its operation in Shannon is “a world leader in the repair of electrical generator components for commercial aircraft”.
“Collins Aerospace in Cork features capabilities in applied research and technology and is part of a global technology and open innovation resource team spanning Europe, US and Asia,” it adds.
Responding to a query from The Irish Times, Collins Aerospace said: “In this particular instance we politely decline to provide any further details on the project at this time.”
Accounts for 2022 state that Collins Aerospace Ireland Limited was founded in 2010 as the European research hub of United Technologies Research Centre (UTRC).
“Currently, the research facility employs approximately 64 researchers and scientists focused on advancing Raytheon Technologies Corporation (formerly called United Technologies Corporation) capabilities,” they said.
“The principal activities are focused on aerospace systems and consist of research and development of underlying technical fields. The company generates intercompany income based on a mark-up on its costs under the terms of an intercompany operating agreement in place with its parent company. The company also generates grant income from the Irish Development Authority [IDA Ireland] and the European Union.”
The chief executive of Airbus Helicopters, Bruno Even, said that taking part in the Nato study for the next generation of military rotorcraft offered “a unique opportunity to leverage our experience working with the different European armed forces”.
“Our goal, together with our highly skilled partners, is to develop a European solution, a concept that would fulfil both the needs of the Nato armed forces while also guaranteeing industrial sovereignty for our European nations and maintaining key engineering competencies.”
The Department of Defence in Dublin said it was not involved in the initiative regarding the planned new helicopter system.
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