The Tiger HAP Helicopter Soars as Europe’s Premier Aerial Dynamo

Dec 13, 2023

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In 2009, the Tiger demonstrated its formidable capabilities with three helicopters deployed to Afghanistan, followed by a subsequent mission to Libya in 2011.

Conceived through a collaborative effort between MBB and Aerospatiale, the Eurocopter EC665 Tiger was envisioned in 1984 to fulfill the advanced multirole helicopter needs of the French and German military for battlefield operations. However, right from the outset, the project faced imminent demise. The exorbitant costs led to the cancellation of the initial program in 1986. It was concluded that supplying the German military with the McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache would have been a significantly more economical alternative.

Eurocopter Tiger EC 665 – Multi-гoɩe Combat Helicopter:

Nonetheless, the program underwent an extensive reassessment and restructuring, culminating in Eurocopter securing a contract in November 1989 to develop five prototype helicopters. Among these, three served as unarmed aerodynamic testbeds, while the remaining two were armed prototypes tailored to fulfill the specific requirements of France and Germany. The initial test flights commenced in April 1991, but a series of setbacks ensued, leading to substantial delays in the program that spanned nearly a decade.

In March 2002, both the French and German militaries placed orders for eighty aircraft each. Recognizing the potential of this airborne Tiger, Australia and Spain joined the initiative. As of the end of the previous year, a total of 181 Tigers, configured to meet various specifications for the four participating nations, have been put into service.

Different Breeds of These Tigers

Presently, the EC665 boasts four distinct models, with one of them being the Tiger HAP (Hélicoptère d’Appui Protection—French for Support and Escort Helicopter). This variant is a medium-weight air-to-air combat and fire support model specifically tailored for the French army. Featuring a chin-mounted GIAT 30-millimeter gun turret, it is capable of carrying 68-millimeter SNEB unguided rockets or 20-millimeter machine cannons for fire support operations. The Tiger HAP is actively operated by both the French Army’s 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment and the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment.

Tiger HAP

The Unterstützungshubschrauber Tiger (UHT), translating to Support Helicopter Tiger in German, serves as a versatile fire support variant within the German army. The UHT is equipped to carry PARS 3 LR “fire and forget” and HOT3 anti-tank missiles, along with the 70-millimeter Hydra 70 air-to-ground fire support rockets. Both the HAC and UHT models share a unified mast-mounted TV/forward-looking infra-red/laser rangefinder sighting system for the gunner, a nose-mounted forward-looking infra-red system for the pilot, and Trigat missile armament.

Moreover, the UHT, operated by the German Army Aviation Helicopter Regiment 36, can be optionally equipped with a turret-mounted 30-millimeter Mauser cannon.

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UHT

The ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) is the designated variant utilized by the 1st Aviation Regiment of the Australian Army, and it derives its design from the Eurocopter Tigre HAP. The ARH Tiger was adopted as a replacement for Australia’s OH-58 Kiowas and UH-1 Iroquois-based “Bushranger” gunships. It features enhanced MTR390 engines, and unlike its predecessor armed with SNEB unguided rockets, it now boasts 70-millimeter rockets manufactured by the Belgian-based Forges de Zeebrugge.

ARH

The Attack Helicopter Battalion 1 of the Spanish Army employs the Tigre HAD (Tiger Helicoptero de Apoyo y Destrucción, translating to Support and Destruction Helicopter in Spanish). This variant closely resembles the HAP version but is specifically tailored for optimal performance in hot environments. It boasts a 14 percent increase in engine power, facilitated by the enhanced Enhanced MTR390 engines.

HAD

All Tiger variants are equipped with a tandem-seat “glass cockpit” and are operated by a two-person crew, where the pilot sits forward of the gunner. The versatile Tiger boasts an impressive roaming range of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and can reach a maximum service ceiling of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) with a rate of climb of 10.7 m/s (2,110 feet per minute).

The cumulative flight hours for Tigers of all variants have surpassed 115,000 hours.

In a noteworthy demonstration of its capabilities, three Tigers were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, showcasing their prowess. Additionally, the aircraft saw action in Libya in 2011. Following industry consolidation, the EC665 Tiger has been marketed by Airbus Helicopters since 2014.