The Eurocopter Tiger (company designation EC 665) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. In 1984, the German and French governments issued a requirement for an advanced multi-role battlefield helicopter. A joint venture consisting of MBB and Aérospatiale was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier. Due to high costs, the program was cancelled in 1986, but was relaunched during 1987. Subsequently, in November 1989, Eurocopter received a contract to build five prototypes. Three were to be unarmed testbeds and the other two armed prototypes: one for the German anti-tank variant and the other for the French escort helicopter variant. The first prototype first flew in April 1991. When Aerospatiale and MBB, among others, merged in 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group, the Tiger program was transferred as well. Serial production of the Tiger began in March 2002 and the first flight of the first production Tiger HAP for the French Army took place in March 2003. The delivery of the first of the eighty helicopters ordered by the French took place in September 2003. At the end of 2003, deliveries began of the 80 UHT version combat support helicopters ordered by Germany to the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement
Export orders: In December 2001, Eurocopter was awarded the contract for the Australian Army’s "Air 87 Requirement", which was for 22 helicopters of the Tiger ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) version. The first Tiger ARH was scheduled to enter service in 2004. 18 of the 22 aircraft will be assembled at the Brisbane facility of Australian Aerospace, the local Eurocopter subsidiary in Australia. In September 2003, Spain selected a variant of the Tiger HAP combat support helicopter - the Tiger HAD - for its army. The 24 helicopters of this type that have been ordered will be armed with the Trigat and Mistral missile systems. They will also have an uprated Enhanced MTR390 engine and a heavier payload. Deliveries are scheduled for 2007-2008. France opted to upgrade most of its HAP Helicopter to HAD; so the HAC-Variant will never be built. In June 2006, the Rafael Spike-ER was selected by the Spanish Army to be the ATGM of the Spanish HAD, instead of the previously announced Trigat missile system. In July 2006, the Saudi Government signed a contract to purchase a total of 142 helicopters, including 12 Tiger attack helicopters.
Bertling was unable to disclose the precise number of helicopters to be deployed, saying only that it would be "more than zero, but I don't believe more than five or six". Eurocopter is ready to send a team to Afghanistan to support the deployment with maintenance and support services to meet the army's requirements.
The French army operates 13 Tiger HAP helicopters, according to Flight's HeliCAS database, with a further 28 on order. It has also ordered a further 40 in the Tiger HAD configuration.
Responding to a suggestion that deliveries of France's Tiger HADs could be delayed by two to three years, Bertling said: "I can definitely not confirm a delay in [that] range." However, he noted that government-furnished equipment such as the aircraft's uprated MTR390-E engines could be a cause of delays.
Developed by MTRI, a consortium of ITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca, the enhanced MTR390-E produces 14% more power for improved hot-and-high performance. Take-off power is increased to 1,470shp (1,095kW).
Developed for France and Spain, the Tiger HAD also features improved ballistic protection and a new electronic warfare system. The model's first flight was performed in December 2007 and first deliveries are scheduled for 2011. Spain has ordered 18 of the enhanced standard, and will upgrade its initial six HAP-model aircraft - five of which have now been delivered - to the same configuration.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
French Army To Deploy Tigers In Second Quarter / Tiger Would Be Deployed By French Army In Afghanistan This Year
French Army To Deploy Tigers In Second Quarter / Tiger Would Be Deployed By French Army In Afghanistan This Year
(NSI News Source Info) January 24, 2009: The first operational deployment of the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter will take place in the second quarter of 2009, the manufacturer's chief executive has revealed.
Speaking in Paris on 20 January, Lutz Bertling said that the Tiger would be deployed by the French army in Afghanistan, and would be "war-proven within 2009". The Eurocopter Tiger (company designation EC 665) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. In 1984, the German and French governments issued a requirement for an advanced multi-role battlefield helicopter. A joint venture consisting of MBB and Aérospatiale was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier. Due to high costs, the program was cancelled in 1986, but was relaunched during 1987. Subsequently, in November 1989, Eurocopter received a contract to build five prototypes. Three were to be unarmed testbeds and the other two armed prototypes: one for the German anti-tank variant and the other for the French escort helicopter variant. The first prototype first flew in April 1991. When Aerospatiale and MBB, among others, merged in 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group, the Tiger program was transferred as well. Serial production of the Tiger began in March 2002 and the first flight of the first production Tiger HAP for the French Army took place in March 2003. The delivery of the first of the eighty helicopters ordered by the French took place in September 2003. At the end of 2003, deliveries began of the 80 UHT version combat support helicopters ordered by Germany to the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement
Export orders: In December 2001, Eurocopter was awarded the contract for the Australian Army’s "Air 87 Requirement", which was for 22 helicopters of the Tiger ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) version. The first Tiger ARH was scheduled to enter service in 2004. 18 of the 22 aircraft will be assembled at the Brisbane facility of Australian Aerospace, the local Eurocopter subsidiary in Australia. In September 2003, Spain selected a variant of the Tiger HAP combat support helicopter - the Tiger HAD - for its army. The 24 helicopters of this type that have been ordered will be armed with the Trigat and Mistral missile systems. They will also have an uprated Enhanced MTR390 engine and a heavier payload. Deliveries are scheduled for 2007-2008. France opted to upgrade most of its HAP Helicopter to HAD; so the HAC-Variant will never be built. In June 2006, the Rafael Spike-ER was selected by the Spanish Army to be the ATGM of the Spanish HAD, instead of the previously announced Trigat missile system. In July 2006, the Saudi Government signed a contract to purchase a total of 142 helicopters, including 12 Tiger attack helicopters.
Bertling was unable to disclose the precise number of helicopters to be deployed, saying only that it would be "more than zero, but I don't believe more than five or six". Eurocopter is ready to send a team to Afghanistan to support the deployment with maintenance and support services to meet the army's requirements.
The French army operates 13 Tiger HAP helicopters, according to Flight's HeliCAS database, with a further 28 on order. It has also ordered a further 40 in the Tiger HAD configuration.
Responding to a suggestion that deliveries of France's Tiger HADs could be delayed by two to three years, Bertling said: "I can definitely not confirm a delay in [that] range." However, he noted that government-furnished equipment such as the aircraft's uprated MTR390-E engines could be a cause of delays.
Developed by MTRI, a consortium of ITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca, the enhanced MTR390-E produces 14% more power for improved hot-and-high performance. Take-off power is increased to 1,470shp (1,095kW).
Developed for France and Spain, the Tiger HAD also features improved ballistic protection and a new electronic warfare system. The model's first flight was performed in December 2007 and first deliveries are scheduled for 2011. Spain has ordered 18 of the enhanced standard, and will upgrade its initial six HAP-model aircraft - five of which have now been delivered - to the same configuration.
The Eurocopter Tiger (company designation EC 665) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. In 1984, the German and French governments issued a requirement for an advanced multi-role battlefield helicopter. A joint venture consisting of MBB and Aérospatiale was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier. Due to high costs, the program was cancelled in 1986, but was relaunched during 1987. Subsequently, in November 1989, Eurocopter received a contract to build five prototypes. Three were to be unarmed testbeds and the other two armed prototypes: one for the German anti-tank variant and the other for the French escort helicopter variant. The first prototype first flew in April 1991. When Aerospatiale and MBB, among others, merged in 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group, the Tiger program was transferred as well. Serial production of the Tiger began in March 2002 and the first flight of the first production Tiger HAP for the French Army took place in March 2003. The delivery of the first of the eighty helicopters ordered by the French took place in September 2003. At the end of 2003, deliveries began of the 80 UHT version combat support helicopters ordered by Germany to the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement
Export orders: In December 2001, Eurocopter was awarded the contract for the Australian Army’s "Air 87 Requirement", which was for 22 helicopters of the Tiger ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) version. The first Tiger ARH was scheduled to enter service in 2004. 18 of the 22 aircraft will be assembled at the Brisbane facility of Australian Aerospace, the local Eurocopter subsidiary in Australia. In September 2003, Spain selected a variant of the Tiger HAP combat support helicopter - the Tiger HAD - for its army. The 24 helicopters of this type that have been ordered will be armed with the Trigat and Mistral missile systems. They will also have an uprated Enhanced MTR390 engine and a heavier payload. Deliveries are scheduled for 2007-2008. France opted to upgrade most of its HAP Helicopter to HAD; so the HAC-Variant will never be built. In June 2006, the Rafael Spike-ER was selected by the Spanish Army to be the ATGM of the Spanish HAD, instead of the previously announced Trigat missile system. In July 2006, the Saudi Government signed a contract to purchase a total of 142 helicopters, including 12 Tiger attack helicopters.
Bertling was unable to disclose the precise number of helicopters to be deployed, saying only that it would be "more than zero, but I don't believe more than five or six". Eurocopter is ready to send a team to Afghanistan to support the deployment with maintenance and support services to meet the army's requirements.
The French army operates 13 Tiger HAP helicopters, according to Flight's HeliCAS database, with a further 28 on order. It has also ordered a further 40 in the Tiger HAD configuration.
Responding to a suggestion that deliveries of France's Tiger HADs could be delayed by two to three years, Bertling said: "I can definitely not confirm a delay in [that] range." However, he noted that government-furnished equipment such as the aircraft's uprated MTR390-E engines could be a cause of delays.
Developed by MTRI, a consortium of ITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca, the enhanced MTR390-E produces 14% more power for improved hot-and-high performance. Take-off power is increased to 1,470shp (1,095kW).
Developed for France and Spain, the Tiger HAD also features improved ballistic protection and a new electronic warfare system. The model's first flight was performed in December 2007 and first deliveries are scheduled for 2011. Spain has ordered 18 of the enhanced standard, and will upgrade its initial six HAP-model aircraft - five of which have now been delivered - to the same configuration.
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