During and immediately following CANSEC 2026 in late May, Airbus demonstrated the ability of the H145M and H175M for all three phases on nTACS, including for the special operations forces. Leonardo, too, would likely propose one or both of its AW249 and AW149 platforms if an open competition were held.
During a recent media briefing in France, Airbus Helicopters said its H175M could be manufactured in Canada if it was selected for nTACS.
“We think we have the perfect products to [replace the Griffon], and we have the capacity in Airbus — and with the supply chain, the aerospace capability in Canada — to do major developments in Canada,” Matthieu Louvot, president and CEO of Airbus Helicopters, told journalists.
Remember when the French were so confident in the effectiveness of their heavy cavalry only to get mowed down and routed by a bunch of conscript archers with longbows? Pepperage Farms remembers.
I will admit I’ve been very interested in the concept of helicopters as drone carriers. Not necessarily just as launch vehicles but also as a mobile operator hub, reducing range constraints between operators and drones. Yes, it does raise the risk level for the operators, but they’re likely still maintaining non-trivial distance from the actual combat theatre