Future mid-size tactical cargo aircraft

This outcome should contribute to:

• Foster a multi-national European footprint.
• The European Technological growth, connecting FMTC to existing Air Systems and future civil programmes.
• Close capability gaps in line with the EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries’ operational needs, providing an alternative to aged fleets.
• Ensure technology maturity and insertion for a mid-2030’s tactical mid-sized cargo aircraft solution.
• Reinforce the European strategic autonomy in the military transport segment.
• Develop vital military capabilities in highly contested environments (e.g., tactical transport, airdrop, air assault) against technologically advanced adversaries.
• Develop EU MEDEVAC capabilities and EU disaster relief, and sanitary crisis response capabilities.
• Promote and secure the European technological and industrial ecosystem, based on a potential new aircraft development.
• Enhance cross-border collaboration (from large industrial groups to SMEs) through the opportunities offered by the several elements of the platform and its architecture.

Tactical transport aircrafts are the workhorses of battlefields, fulfilling missions like airdrop delivery, parachutist drop, logistics, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), air to air refuelling, special missions under harsh and adverse conditions, which are critical for the success of military operations. Operations in hostile environments demand e.g., built in electronic warfare self-protection systems, and set requirements on the platform performance/build up in order to be suitable for the task, and furthermore to operate with limited ground infrastructure (e.g., unprepared runways).

Beyond their pure military role, tactical transport aircrafts are also key assets for a better civil defence/protection and EU-internal needs, with critical contribution to disaster relief, search-and-rescue, and sanitary crises response.

Besides the A400M, which is on the high-performance side of the capacity, the initial conception of the majority of currently operating tactical aircraft (C130) is now 40 years old, and there is a need for a new medium tactical European aircraft, lighter than the A400M that could provide a complementary capacity for tactical transport.

Currently, some EU Member States are operating medium payload tactical military transport -aircrafts within their fleet, which can be replaced with growing capabilities, able to cope with the envisaged operational challenges.

Specific objective

This topic is an opportunity for Europe to federate efforts by providing the EU defence community (EU Members States, EDF Associated Countries and industry) with robust elements to decide what the 2035+ future of EU military tactical transport could be.

By maturation of the required technologies and innovations, this topic aims to lower the risks for the Future Mid-size Tactical Cargo aircraft (FMTC) capability development and therefore the costs for further potential development phases, with a view to possibly enabling first flight of prototype early 2030’s.

Proposal must address the maturation of technologies and the implementation of a state-of-the-art data management system, in two main areas:

• Technology and Concept maturation:
  • Progress on Technology Readiness (TRL) process (objective: achieve TRL5-6 in 2027 benefiting as much as possible on dual-use technology) and technologies selection for FMTC;
  • Mature Aircraft Architecture and Concepts, as selected by the supporting Member States and EDF Associated Countries.
• Implementation of new trends in Data management and In-Service support.

Types of activities

The following table lists the types of activities which are eligible for this topic, and whether they are mandatory or optional (see Article 10(3) EDF Regulation):

Accordingly, the proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of mandatory activities along the following two main areas:

1. Technology and Concept maturation:

• Multidisciplinary Aircraft optimisation and Flight Physics streams: Develop external layout and overall aircraft performance validation through Digital Twin capabilities complemented by preliminary Wind Tunnel Tests (atmospheric) by using the most appropriate wind tunnel capabilities on low cost scaled and modular Aircraft model.
• Smart Systems stream:
  • Mature and implement Integrated Modular Avionics technology with reconfiguration capabilities, also exploiting the use of civilian technologies for aircraft functions and military missions’ systems in order to maximise shared computing resources, return of investments, portability and maintenance throughout the life cycle, operational effectiveness and military standards compliance at lower life cycle cost;
  • Mature and implement wireless interfaces technology for interconnection of avionics equipment.
  • Smart Aircraft flight control for enabling eco-friendly wing functions:
    • Optimising fuel consumption, e.g., with improved electrically powered actuator system, but not limited to them.
    • Optimising tactical capabilities through aerodynamics optimisation.
    • Loads alleviation functions to reduce aircraft structure weight.
• Propulsion and Energy streams:
  • Assess propulsion architectures, including new concepts (e.g., open rotor, low speed propeller);
  • Mature 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel propulsion compatible technologies;
  • Assess the portability of less bleed and more electrical Aircraft and alternative Propulsion System technologies to military applications, complying with the peculiar missions and requirements;
  • Implement Propulsion contemplated technology, fulfilling the flight and mission performance requirements, while meeting Life Cycle Cost sustainability and affordability criteria;
  • As an option to refine the identification of boundaries between low and high voltage architectures to optimise energy needs, considering design constraints, certification and maintenance aspects;
  • The solution for the engine should be tested in simulation independently of the platform.
• Aerostructure stream:
  • Mature material technologies (light materials and based on full life cycle environment impact analysis), meeting sustainability and affordability criteria;
  • Improve Virtual Structure Testing capabilities to limit physical testing of new technologies to minimise waste for required physical tests.
• Eco friendly Cockpit & Cargo streams:
  • Develop virtual mock-ups for Cockpit and Cargo;
  • Implement Enhanced Human Machine Interface concepts.
• Multi-mission and Connectivity streams:
  • Mature technologies and product architecture enabling flexible and quick aircraft reconfiguration for multi-mission capabilities beyond pure Cargo mission (according to the multi-mission capabilities requirements provided by the supporting Member States, for example, but not limited to: Self Protection, Air-to-Air Refuelling, Medevac, Signal Intelligence, Maritime Patrol, Antisubmarine warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Airborne Early Warning and Control, Command and Control Centre) and connectivity and interoperability of FMTC in a sovereign and multinational network, preparing it for collaborative and cloud based operations.

1. Implementation of new trends in Data management and In-Service support:

• Implement New Data Management Technology (Combat Cloud readiness to improve interoperability, Improved Data Analytics, Digital Twin for design and manufacturing or other equivalent technologies).
• Implement New In-Service Support Technology (Advance maintenance, Fleet monitoring and Availability enhancement).
• Autonomy, Digitisation and Artificial Intelligence streams:
  • Collaborative Autonomy. Mature technologies for an enhanced flight control, management autonomy and crew decision making (for instance Manned-Unmanned Teaming and Increased Tactical situation awareness, Single Pilot Operation, Automatic Take-off and Landing);
  • Enhanced Autonomy in aircraft subsystems. Improve the use of AI/ML in mission critical and safety critical systems; as well as during the flight checks and fault-detection procedures for instances; in order to increase the overall effectiveness.

In order to ensure no duplication of efforts, the proposals must substantiate synergies and complementarities with foreseen, ongoing or completed activities in the field of transport aircraft, notably those described in the call topic EDF-2022-RA-PROTMOB-FMTC related to Future mid-size tactical cargo aircraft.

Functional requirements

The proposed product and technologies should meet the following functional requirements:

• Main missions:
  • Should provide tactical air mobility for armed forces by tactical airlift or aerial delivery;
  • Should perform medical evacuation, refuelling on ground (ALARP and FARP) and air-to-air refuelling.
• Additional missions:
  • May be able to perform (with modifications/additions) some additional missions.
• Main specifications:
  • Should be able to fly at a very low level, in both visual and instrument meteorological conditions, day and night, through hostile or contested environment in semi or non-permissive environment, worldwide;
  • Should use a wide spectrum of airfields, non-prepared and unpaved runways without significant runway damage and short take-off and landings qualities;
  • Should have performances not significantly altered in severe environment: dust, sand, humidity, maritime environment, extreme temperature conditions (arctic and desert environment) and mountainous areas, hot and high, CBRN.
• Main qualities:
  • Should have Economic favourable operating costs;
  • Should promote interoperability with other strategic and tactical transports that are operated by the supporting Member States and EDF Associated Countries at the time the FMTC enters into service;
  • Should allow incremental and frequent updates including cockpit interface and connectivity, and offer growth potential with Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) type;
  • Should have a maintenance-oriented design to favour a high level of serviceability.
• Cargo specifications:
  • Should be able to load and unload freight with a maximum autonomy on ground, including engine running on/offload operations (ERO);
  • Should have the ability to perform a large variety of drop (material and personal).
• Support and deployment ability:
  • Should have maintenance scheduled and unscheduled inspections reduced to a minimum in order to optimise the fleet availability;
  • Military operations in any environment should not significantly increase the maintenance burden or accelerate the ageing of parts.
• Airspace management compliance:
  • Must be compliant with all current regulations to operate worldwide according to general and operational air traffic rules and allow easy adaptation to upcoming regulations.
• Environmental protection and sustainability:
  • Should implement state-of-the-art solution in terms of environmental protection and sustainability and keep carbon dioxide emissions as low as possible.