Future multirole light aircraft

The EDF Research Actions call EDF-2026-RA funds collaborative studies and preliminary design of a low-cost single-engine turboprop Future Multirole Light Aircraft to address light attack, anti-drone, close air support and ISR-enabled missions. The indicative topic budget is €15 million, funding rate is 100% of eligible costs for Research Actions, several proposals may be funded and equipment costs are reimbursed on a depreciation basis. Mandatory multi-beneficiary consortia must include entities established in EU Member States or Norway, comply with EDF security and ownership control rules, and participation by entities from non-associated third countries is possible only under strict guarantees. Activities are restricted to studies and design (no prototyping or testing) with functional targets including EMAR 21 certification compatibility, MTOW up to 7,500 kg, STOL and operation in harsh and GNSS-denied environments, and applications must be submitted via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 29 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.

Future multirole light aircraft (EDF-2026-RA-PROTMOB-FMLA) — Call overview

What it funds

Scope in one line

Research and design activities to define and mature a low-cost single-engine turboprop future multirole light aircraft (FMLA) for air-to-ground roles including light attack, anti-drone interception, close air support and ISR-enabled combat missions; studies and design work up to technology demonstrator readiness (up to TRL6 as applicable to topic).

Indicative budget:€15,000,000 is earmarked for this topic under the EDF-2026-RA call ¹.

Who can apply

Consortia of legal entities established in eligible EDF countries (EU Member States and associated country participants such as Norway). Multi‑beneficiary proposals are mandatory for this topic; participants must meet EDF security, ownership and financial/operational capacity requirements (see call documents).

Key conditions and activities supported

1. 1Type of funding: EDF Research Actions (actual cost grants), funded at up to 100% for research actions.
2. 2Targeted activities: studies, design and upstream/downstream research activities (system studies, preliminary design, risk reduction and living-lab validation; prototyping and testing are excluded under this topic).
3. 3Consortium: multi‑beneficiary required; security and ownership control declarations apply; facility/personnel security may be needed for classified work.
4. 4Subcontracting and financial support to third parties (FSTP) are allowed within limits specified in the call document.

Deadlines and process

Single-stage submission. Opening date 11 February 2026; deadline 29 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Apply via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligibility & practical notes

Applicants must follow call-specific admissibility, eligibility and documentation rules (Part A forms in the Portal, Part B PDF upload, security and ownership declarations, Detailed Budget Tables and any national approvals for ownership/control where required). Costs must meet EDF eligibility rules (depreciation rules apply for equipment in many EDF topics).

Apply/Info:Submission and full call documentation are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text, topic description, eligibility, security and application templates are in the EDF-2026-RA call documents on the Funding & Tenders Portal: EDF-2026-RA call documents.

Future multirole light aircraft (EDF-2026-RA-PROTMOB-FMLA) — Research actions implemented via actual cost grants

Programme: European Defence Fund (EDF) — Research Actions (EDF-RA). Topic ID: EDF-2026-RA. Opening date: 11 February 2026. Deadline: 29 September 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Deadline model: single-stage. Submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Official topic page and submission: EDF-2026-RA-PROTMOB-FMLA on EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Call document and templates: Call fiche EDF-2026-RA.

Scope and Objectives

This topic seeks studies and design for a low-cost, single-engine turboprop Future Multirole Light Aircraft (FMLA) that bridges ageing EU light multirole fleets to modern operational needs. The solution must avoid duplicating or fragmenting existing European turboprop and tactical airlift systems, and should leverage existing European platforms, technologies, and innovations.

• Core mission profiles: direct air support; ground targeting; ISR with combat elements; air strike coordination and reconnaissance; forward-positioned air traffic control support for counter-terrorism in hostile environments.
• Combat effectiveness in roles such as light attack, anti-drone interception, and close air support.
• Dual-use orientation where feasible (e.g. SAR, border surveillance, disaster relief), enabling conversion to civil security and EU internal needs.

The topic contributes to the STEP objectives under the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) in the target investment area of defence technologies.

Targeted Activities and Expected Outputs

Type of action: Research Actions with a 100% funding rate. The topic supports studies and design; prototyping, testing, qualification, and certification are not in scope.

Mandatory activities:Studies and Design. This includes creating an aircraft architecture concept; feasibility studies of proposed configurations; lifecycle cost estimation and development duration assessment; analysis of end-user needs and functional requirements; exploration of technologies for flexible multi-mission reconfiguration and GNSS-denied operations; cockpit autonomy and pilot-assistance trends; materials suitability assessments (metals, composites, lightweight and sustainable materials) with lifecycle environmental impact; survivability feasibility; MUM-T collaborative mission feasibility; a Preliminary Requirements Review (PRR) with supporting Member States and associated countries; research and innovation activities on structures, technologies, materials, and standards; and a cooperative analysis of EU replacement needs for the 2035–2040 horizon and EU development opportunities.

Additional (optional) tasks:Preliminary programme management and system engineering plans; programme schedule and roadmap; costing evaluation; market assessment; environmental impact analysis; risk and constraints analysis across implementation, cost, schedule, organisation, operations, maintenance, production and disposal.

Functional requirements (highlights):A small turboprop aircraft capable of EMAR 21 certification; MTOW up to 7,500 kg; STOL; cargo compartment (rear or side door or ramp). Use of relevant standards: ARP-4754A (development), ARP-4761 (safety), MIL-STD-810H (environmental), MIL-STD-461G (EMI/EMC), MIL-STD-704 (electric power), DO-178C (software), DO-254 (complex hardware), DO-326A and DO-356A (cybersecurity). Operational envelopes include FIKI and harsh environmental conditions (sand, dust, salt, storms, heat, humidity, extreme cold, high winds, gusts, extreme rain, mountainous terrain). The aircraft should be environmentally friendly, enable operations under suppressed air defences below conflict threshold, and support teamed or collaborative targeting with human supervision. It should be a cost-effective platform using novel materials and clean propulsion where possible, and be prepared for a range of kinetic and non-kinetic effects, with advanced radar applications and adaptive camouflage for survivability. Tangible requirements include ISR with possible combat elements (including modern missiles), modern avionics, encrypted data transmission and communications, operation on unprepared runways, and participation in disaster relief operations.

Topic Budget, Timeline, and Administration

General conditions on admissibility, eligible countries and participants, financial and operational capacity, award criteria, timelines, and legal/financial set-up are defined in the call document sections 4–10. Model Grant Agreements, security instructions, and guidance apply to this topic.

Who Can Apply and How (Eligibility and Consortium)

Multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory. Specific consortium composition conditions apply in Section 6 of the call document. Under EDF rules, applicants must be established in EU Member States or the associated country (Norway), with executive management structure in those countries. Entities controlled by non-associated third countries may participate only under strict guarantees approved by the competent national authority and in line with the EDF Regulation. Associated partners not meeting these conditions may participate exceptionally, under safeguards and if agreed by the granting authority, but cannot receive EDF funding.

For this topic, applicants should build a consortium that collectively covers aircraft systems design, safety and certification engineering, mission systems integration (ISR, C2, comms, encrypted datalinks), survivability and signature management (coatings, materials, adaptive camouflage), GNSS-denied navigation and autonomy/pilot assistance, multi-mission reconfiguration, materials and structures (metals, composites, lightweight and sustainable materials), environmental qualification, cyber-secure avionics/software/hardware (DO-178C/DO-254/DO-326A/DO-356A), and operational concept development and validation (PRR).

Key Technical and Operational Focus Areas

• Architecture and configurations: studies of one or two aircraft configurations aligned with convergent requirements of supporting Member States and associated countries.
• Survivability and signature: modern technologies and materials to reduce detectability (e.g., radiation-absorbing paints/coatings) and improve resilience to electromagnetic threats (e.g., EMP shielding for avionics and comms).
• Multi-mission and flexibility: rapid reconfiguration, cargo integration (doors or ramp), and operations on unprepared runways.
• Avionics and cybersecurity: modern, ciphered communications and datalinks; compliance with DO-178C, DO-254, DO-326A, DO-356A.
• Operational environments: FIKI compliance; harsh environment operability; GNSS-denied operation capability and teaming/collaborative scenarios under human supervision.
• Dual-use and civil security conversion potential: SAR, border surveillance, disaster relief.

Categorisation and Structured Answers

Eligible Applicant Types:Enterprises and organisations established in EU Member States or Norway with executive management in those countries, including SMEs, mid-caps, large enterprises, prime contractors and tiered suppliers in aerospace/defence; universities; research and technology organisations; nonprofit research entities; and potentially public bodies (e.g., defence research agencies). Subcontractors and associated partners must respect EDF ownership and control rules. Entities controlled by non-associated third countries may only participate under exceptional guarantees approved by national authorities; such entities cannot compromise EU security and defence interests, access to sensitive information, control of results, or security of supply.

Funding Type:Grant (EDF Research Action), budget-based, with a 100% funding rate for eligible costs.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium mandatory (multi-beneficiary). Specific composition rules apply as per Section 6 of the call document. Under EDF, collaboration across multiple eligible countries is standard; applicants should ensure compliance with the minimum participation and cross-border cooperation requirements described in the call.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and the EDF associated country Norway for beneficiaries, affiliated entities and subcontractors involved in the action. Associated partners from other countries may participate only exceptionally, under conditions and without EDF funding, ensuring no control or restriction by non-associated third countries over results, and safeguarding EU and Member State security and defence interests.

Target Sector:Defence aviation and air systems; ISR; close air support and light attack; aircraft systems engineering; avionics and secure communications; survivability and signature management; materials and coatings; systems integration; air operations and mission systems. Cross-cuts to cyber-secure embedded systems, clean propulsion considerations, and dual-use civil security missions.

Mentioned Countries:EU (region), Norway (EDF associated country). The topic references EU Member States and EDF associated countries in general; no specific individual Member States are listed in the topic text.

Project Stage:Research and design. Activities include studies, feasibility, requirements analysis, preliminary design planning and PRR. Prototyping, testing, qualification, and certification are explicitly out of scope for this Research Action.

Funding Amount:Indicative total budget for the topic is €15,000,000, with several proposals to be funded. Individual grant sizes will depend on scope and ranking; applicants should align budgets within the topic envelope and call constraints.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage, electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Part B and annexes must be uploaded as a single AES-256 password-protected zip file according to the call document. Use the Standard Application Form (EDF) and required annexes provided in the Submission System.

Nature of Support:Financial support in the form of grants. Non-financial supports include optional business coaching for successful SME beneficiaries under EDF provisions.

Application Stages:1 stage (single-stage evaluation and award). Proposals are evaluated against EDF award criteria defined in section 9 of the call document.

Success Rates:No success rate figures are published for this specific topic. Competition is typically strong under EDF; applicants should carefully address all award criteria and security/eligibility conditions.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding is required for Research Actions; eligible costs are funded at 100%. Beneficiaries must ensure financial and operational capacity and may need to advance costs until prefinancing and interim payments. Indirect costs are funded at 25% flat-rate of eligible direct costs (or as actual indirect costs if national authority-accepted methodology is provided).

Cost Eligibility, Indirect Costs, and FSTP

• Eligible costs follow the EDF MGA and call rules. Subcontracting must ensure best value and absence of conflicts of interest.
• Equipment costs: depreciation only for this topic; full capitalisation is not permitted unless otherwise specified (not the case here).
• Indirect costs: 25% flat rate of eligible direct costs (excluding volunteers, subcontracting, financial support to third parties, and exempted specific categories) or actual indirect costs under accepted national methodology.
• Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) is allowed within the call-set ceiling and must be fully described if used (objectives, procedures, amounts per third party, selection criteria, activity types).

Security, Ownership and Control, and Compliance

• Programme Security Instruction (PSI) for EDF applies; handling of EUCI, security classification, visits, transport, IT processing and incident handling must follow Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 and the PSI for EDF actions.
• PRS (Galileo Public Regulated Service) declaration is required only if PRS information access is necessary for the action.
• Ownership and control: entities controlled by non-associated third countries require ownership-control guarantees approved by the Member State under Articles 20 and 23 of the EDF Regulation; results must remain free from non-associated third-country control or restrictions and ensure security of supply.
• IPR: Results belong to the consortium; detailed ownership and use must be addressed in the consortium agreement in line with the EDF MGA and call rules.

How to Apply — Forms and Templates

Use the Standard Application Form (EDF) and upload Part B plus annexes as a single password-protected ZIP. Required and commonly used templates are provided in the Submission System. Key templates and references include:

• Application Form Part A (online administrative forms) and Part B (technical narrative).
• Detailed Budget Table (EDF RA).
• Participant Information (EDF) template: legal and operational capacity details for beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors involved, associated partners.
• List of infrastructures, facilities, assets and resources (EDF): including precise locations and any FSC status.
• Actual Indirect Cost Methodology Declaration (EDF) if claiming actual indirects, to be signed by national pricing authorities.
• Ownership Control Declaration and, where applicable, Ownership Control Guarantee with national authority approval.
• PRS Declaration (if PRS access is needed).
• EDF/ASAP/EDIRPA Model Grant Agreement and EDF Programme Security Instruction.

Part B structure (outline):Project Summary; Excellence and Potential of Disruption (overall concept; objectives/scope/functional requirements/expected impact; advantage/potential of disruption); Innovation and Technological Development (innovation potential; complementarity with prior R&D; potential for spin-offs); Competitiveness (advantage; growth acceleration; IPR strategy); EDTIB Autonomy (non-dependency; security of supply; Member State priorities); Creation of New Cross-Border Cooperation (including SMEs and mid-caps); Implementation (work plan; WPs, activities, resources, timetable; consortium set-up; management and decision-making; project management and quality assurance; cost-effectiveness and financial management; risk management; communication/dissemination/visibility); Ethics; Security; Declarations (bonuses, PRS, international law, background/results free of restrictions, double funding, FSTP parameters). Templates and tags are provided in the official Part B document.

Evaluation and Award

Single-stage evaluation by independent experts with valid Personal Security Clearance (PSC) where required. Award criteria as per Section 9 of the call document typically include excellence, innovation, competitiveness and EDTIB autonomy, cross-border cooperation (notably of SMEs/mid-caps), and quality and efficiency of implementation. Priority order rules apply for ties. Selected proposals proceed to Grant Agreement Preparation (GAP), including security scrutiny for classification, and ownership/control checks. Some projects may be subsequently managed by entrusted entities (e.g., EDA, OCCAR) if decided by the Commission.

Portal Resources, Help and Partnering

• Topic page, Q&A, partner search and submission: EU Funding & Tenders Portal — Topic page.
• EDF programme and guidance: EDF programme overview.
• Online Manual and Terms: Portal Online Manual; Portal Terms and Conditions.
• National Focal Points (NFPs) support partner finding and national requirements; Partner search announcements can be posted by LEARs and eligible users directly on the topic page.
• EDF Info Days and tutorials on costs, forms of funding, ownership control, SME/mid-cap assessment, and submission provide practical guidance.

Comprehensive Summary

EDF-2026-RA funds collaborative research actions to study and design a low-cost, turboprop Future Multirole Light Aircraft for diverse operational profiles ranging from direct air support and ground targeting to ISR with combat elements and air strike coordination. The scope emphasises leveraging European platforms and innovations without duplicating existing turboprop or tactical transport systems, and it addresses survivability, signature management, GNSS-denied operation, cyber-secure avionics, and rapid reconfiguration for multi-mission roles, including dual-use conversions for SAR, border surveillance, and disaster relief. Activities are research- and design-focused (no prototyping/testing/qualification/certification), culminating in feasibility, requirements, PRR, and a consolidated roadmap for future development and industrialisation. The aircraft shall be designed in line with stringent aerospace standards (ARP-4754A/ARP-4761, DO-178C/DO-254, DO-326A/DO-356A) and military standards (MIL-STD-810H/-461G/-704) and meet STOL, MTOW ≤7,500 kg, cargo integration, and harsh-environment operability including FIKI. Funding is provided as a 100% actual cost grant under EDF Research Actions, with an indicative topic budget of €15 million and the possibility of multiple awards. Multi-beneficiary consortia are mandatory and must comply with EDF eligibility, security, ownership-control, and geographic rules (EU and Norway), with strong encouragement for cross-border participation of SMEs and mid-caps. Proposals are submitted in a single stage through the Funding & Tenders Portal, with Part B and annexes uploaded as an AES-256 password-protected archive and using official templates (budget, participant information, infrastructure list, optional actual indirect cost methodology, ownership control documents, and PRS declaration if relevant). Equipment costs are reimbursed on a depreciation basis; FSTP (cascade funding) is allowed within the call ceiling if well-justified. Security requirements follow the EDF Programme Security Instruction and Commission Decision 2015/444 on EUCI. The opportunity is designed to reduce strategic dependencies, enhance the EDTIB, foster standardisation and interoperability across EU Member States and Norway, and provide an affordable, adaptable multirole platform aligned with STEP defence technology objectives and the 2035–2040 replacement horizon.

Future Multirole Light Aircraft (FMLA) - EDF-2026-RA-PROTMOB-FMLA

Opportunity Overview

This call under the European Defence Fund (EDF) Research Actions (RA) programme seeks proposals for studies and design of a low-cost, single-engine turboprop Future Multirole Light Aircraft (FMLA). The FMLA aims to address the ageing EU fleet in the light aircraft segment, providing capabilities for air-to-ground operations, light attack, anti-drone interception, close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with combat elements, and air strike coordination in hostile environments, including counter-terrorism missions. It must avoid duplication of existing turboprop or tactical transport systems and leverage European platforms and technologies to reduce development risks. The topic contributes to STEP objectives in defence technologies.

Key Dates:Opening date: 11 February 2026. Deadline: 29 September 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Single-stage submission.

Indicative Budget and Funding:€15 million for this topic. Several proposals may be funded. Funding rate: 100% of eligible costs for Research Actions. Equipment costs: depreciation only.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Multi-beneficiary applications are mandatory with specific consortium composition conditions (see call document section 6). Legal entities established in EU Member States or Norway (EDF associated country). Executive management structure must be in eligible countries. Non-EU entities may participate under strict conditions with guarantees approved by national authorities to protect EU security and defence interests. No control by non-associated third countries without approved guarantees. SMEs and mid-caps encouraged. Pillar-assessed participants may apply own rules if compliant.

Targeted Activities

• Studies: aircraft architecture concepts, feasibility of configurations, budget validation, requirement analysis, survivability, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), preliminary requirements review (PRR).
• Design: preliminary identification of candidate solutions, reference configurations and equipment.
• Generating knowledge and integrating knowledge: optional, e.g. material technologies, autonomy trends.

Functional Requirements

Small turboprop aircraft certifiable under EMAR 21. MTOW up to 7500 kg. Short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. Cargo compartment (rear/side door, ramp). Compliance with standards: ARP-4754A (development), ARP-4761 (safety), MIL-STD-810H (environmental), MIL-STD-461G (EMI/EMC), MIL-STD-704 (electric power), DO-178C (software), DO-254 (hardware), DO-326A/DO-356A (cyber). Operation in permissive/harsh conditions, FIKI, GNSS-denied areas. Environmentally friendly, low life-cycle costs, ISR/combat capabilities, modern avionics, encrypted data links. Dual-use for SAR/border/disaster relief.

Evaluation and Award Process

1. 1Admissibility: Proposal page limits/layout per call document section 5.
2. 2Eligibility: Countries/conditions per section 6; financial/operational capacity/exclusion per section 7.
3. 3Evaluation: Processes per section 8; award criteria/thresholds per section 9; indicative timeline per section 4.
4. 4Legal/financial set-up: Per section 10.

Application Documents and Submission

Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Standard application form (EDF), detailed budget table (EDF RA), participant information (EDF), list of infrastructure/facilities/assets/resources (EDF), actual indirect cost methodology declaration (if applicable), ownership control declaration/guarantee, PRS declaration (if applicable). Model Grant Agreement: EDF Action Grant Budget-Based (EDF-AG). Part B and annexes as single password-protected ZIP (AES-256 encryption).

Expected Impact

• Affordable product for smaller countries.
• Innovative dual-use aircraft.
• Improved EU security actor cooperation.
• Strengthened European light multirole aircraft sector.
• Boost to crisis response/disaster relief.
• Promotion of European technological ecosystem.
• Market opportunities for SMEs.
• Reduced strategic dependencies.

Key Conditions and Requirements

Detailed conditions in call document sections 5-10. Apply via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Call document: Call Fiche EDF-2026-RA. EDF Regulation: EDF Regulation 2021/697.

Additional Insights from Analysis

Media reports highlight FMLA as stealth-focused light attack aircraft for 2035-2040, bridging gap between fighters and low-intensity needs. Comparisons to Super Tucano/PC-21 noted, but emphasis on EU survivability (low RCS, EMP protection), STOL, dual-use. Initial phase focuses on feasibility, not prototypes. Industry interest from SMEs expected.

Footnotes

1. 1Primary source: EU Funding Portal topic page and call fiche. Secondary: EDF Regulation, PSI, application templates.