Safran Helicopter Engines and MTU Aero Engines have signed a cooperation agreement to create a 50/50 joint venture named EURA (derived from the European military rotorcraft engine alliance). This newly formed company will be the core of a larger programme that will collaborate with industrial and technological partners from several other European nations. With the creation of EURA, the two companies are taking an important step towards the joint development of a new 100%-European engine for the next generation of European military helicopters.
The signing ceremony took place at the French Embassy in Berlin, in the presence of François Delattre, France’s Ambassador to Germany, and Thomas Hitschler, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Defence. By signing the agreement, Cédric Goubet, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines, and Michael Schreyögg, Chief Programme Officer of MTU Aero Engines, commenced another chapter in the long-standing collaboration and partnership between Safran and MTU. The new entity EURA will be based in Bordes, France, at Safran Helicopter Engines headquarters and its CEO will be selected from within MTU.
This exclusive joint venture will focus on the development of a new heavy helicopter engine to power the next generation of European military helicopters, scheduled to enter into service by 2040. The future engine aims to significantly increase efficiency while reducing operating and maintenance costs. It will be particularly well suited to the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies (ENGRT) project. The outstanding engine characteristics will provide the European Next Generation Rotorcraft with enhanced capabilities such as longer range, higher speed, better manoeuvrability, and higher availability.
The creation of EURA will also encourage a future specific call for military helicopter engines in the European Defence Fund (EDF). Safran Helicopter Engines and MTU Aero Engines, via EURA, would then respond together with a capable consortium of partners.
“EURA is a guarantee of sovereignty for the future military helicopters that Europe and European nations will need,” says Cédric Goubet, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines. “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.”
The finalisation of this cooperation agreement follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at the Paris Air Show in June 2023. Safran and MTU’s commitment to powering the next generation of European military helicopters complements the companies’ existing joint initiative to power the New Generation Fighter within the FCAS programme.
