Safran, MTU and Avio Aero Join European Partners to Develop Building Blocks for Future Military Rotorcraft Engines

Safran, MTU and Avio Aero Join European Partners to Develop Building Blocks for Future Military Rotorcraft Engines

(IN BRIEF) Safran Helicopter Engines, MTU Aero Engines and Avio Aero have welcomed European Commission support for the SHARP project, a European Defence Fund-backed research initiative focused on technologies for next-generation military helicopter engines. SHARP, or Sovereign High-performance Architecture for Rotorcraft Propulsion, will receive around €25 million and bring together 25 partners from 12 European countries, including SMEs, universities and research institutes. The project will mature key technologies for ENGHE, the European Next Generation Helicopter Engine, which is intended to provide Europe with a sovereign, advanced and cost-effective propulsion solution for future military rotorcraft. The engine is expected to improve efficiency, reduce operating and maintenance costs, and support capabilities such as greater range, higher payload, increased speed and improved availability. Coordinated by EURA, the joint venture between Safran Helicopter Engines and MTU Aero Engines, SHARP responds to the long-term renewal needs of Europe’s ageing military helicopter fleet and supports wider European defence sovereignty and supply chain resilience.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERLIN, 11-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Safran Helicopter Engines, MTU Aero Engines and Avio Aero have welcomed European Union support for SHARP, a major research project focused on technologies for future military helicopter engines.

The European Commission has decided to fund the SHARP project, formally known as Sovereign High-performance Architecture for Rotorcraft Propulsion, through the European Defence Fund. The project will receive a budget of around €25 million and is intended to develop scalable technological building blocks for a new state-of-the-art military helicopter engine.

SHARP will bring together 25 partners from 12 European countries, including small and medium-sized enterprises, universities and research institutes. By maturing key technologies, the project is expected to support the development pathway for ENGHE, the European Next Generation Helicopter Engine.

The future ENGHE is intended to provide Europe with advanced, cost-effective and sovereign helicopter engine technology capable of operating in demanding military environments while simplifying maintenance. The engine concept is expected to include breakthrough technologies designed to improve efficiency and reduce operating and maintenance costs.

ENGHE is being developed with future rotorcraft requirements in mind, particularly next-generation military helicopter programmes expected to enter service around 2040. These include the European Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies project and the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability initiative. The future engine is expected to support enhanced helicopter performance, including longer range, increased payload, higher speed and greater availability.

Cédric Goubet, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines, said EU support for SHARP and the broader ENGHE project demonstrates Europe’s intention to secure technological sovereignty and self-reliance for the next generation of military helicopters. He thanked the European Union, the European Defence Fund and the supporting nations for their confidence in the project and its contribution to stronger European defence capabilities.

Dr Ottmar Pfänder, Chief Program Officer of MTU Aero Engines, said Europe’s military helicopter fleet is continuing to age and that a large share of rotorcraft will need to be replaced from 2040 onward. He said the partners have joined forces across Europe to underline the importance of the technology programme, strengthen European sovereignty and reinforce the continental supply chain.

Riccardo Procacci, CEO of Avio Aero, said SHARP is an important milestone in the development of Europe’s next-generation rotorcraft engine. He said the project highlights the value of collaboration in developing sovereign, high-performance propulsion technologies and allows Avio Aero to contribute its helicopter propulsion expertise within a fully European framework.

The SHARP project team is expected to be fully established in the coming months. The project will be coordinated by EURA, the European Military Rotorcraft Engine Alliance, a joint venture owned equally by Safran Helicopter Engines and MTU Aero Engines.

Wolfgang Gärtner, CEO of EURA, said the alliance is ready to coordinate the multinational European team. He said the partners are united by the goal of providing armed forces with advanced technologies while ensuring European sovereignty.

The project comes as Europe faces a long-term need to renew its military rotorcraft fleet. Across Europe, there are around 1,800 transport helicopters and 600 combat helicopters with an average age of 20 years. By the 2040s, even rotorcraft still in production today will have been in service for more than 50 years.

By supporting SHARP, the European Defence Fund is helping to advance a European industrial and technological base for next-generation helicopter propulsion. The project reflects broader efforts to strengthen Europe’s defence autonomy, supply chain resilience and ability to develop advanced propulsion systems for future military aviation.

EURA is a Safran Helicopter Engines and MTU Aero Engines joint venture dedicated to powering the next generation of military helicopters. It was created in July 2024 and is currently chaired by Wolfgang Gärtner (MTU Aero Engines), with Jean-Michel Larricq (Safran Helicopter Engines) as his deputy. Learn more at www.eura-engine.eu or follow us on LinkedIn.

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with more than 110,000 employees and revenue of 31.3 billion euros in 2025, and holds, alone or in partnership, global or regional leadership positions in its core markets.
Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.

Safran Helicopter Engines is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopter engines, with more than 75,000 produced since being founded. It offers the widest range of helicopter turboshafts in the world and has more than 2,500 customers in 155 countries.

MTU Aero Engines is a globally recognized expert in commercial and military aircraft engines. MTU‘s high-tech expertise ranges from the development and production of high-quality components to the final assembly of complete engines and the maintenance of aircraft engines and stationary gas turbines. In the financial year 2025, the DAX-listed company generated revenues of 8.7 billion euros. MTU technology can be found providing reliable thrust in one in three commercial aircraft worldwide. And every year, MTU maintains around 1,500 engines and industrial gas turbines. At 19 locations on five continents, around 14,000 employees from over 80 nations contribute to safe global mobility. Together with other European engine manufacturers, MTU has also been ensuring and supporting the operational readiness of air forces for decades.

Avio Aero is a GE Aerospace company that designs, manufactures and maintains components and propulsion systems for civil and military aviation. Today, the company provides its customers with innovative technological solutions to quickly respond to the continuous changes required by the market: additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, as well as technologies dedicated to the production of transmissions, turbines, and combustors. Avio Aero’s head office is in Rivalta di Torino, where its largest production facility is also located. Other important facilities are in Brindisi and Pomigliano d’Arco (Naples), with a total of around 4,900 employees employed in Italy. The company also has a plant and a test center in Poland and a production and testing facility in the Czech Republic, with a total of around 1,100 employees. Through continuous investment in research and development and a consolidated network of relationships with major universities and international research centers, Avio Aero has developed a globally recognized level of technological and manufacturing excellence, as evidenced by the partnerships signed with the world’s leading aviation companies.

Media Contacts:

François JULIAN: francois.julian@safrangroup.com / +33 (0)7 85 14 16 62

Markus WOELFLE: markus.woelfle@mtu.de / +49 (0)151 174 15 084

Matteo ACCIACCARELLI: matteo.acciaccarelli@avioaero.it / +39 347 7367676

SOURCE: Safran