Eurocopter Tiger

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Eurocopter Tiger
Eurocopter Tiger in Australian Army colours at the Avalon Airshow
Type	Attack helicopter
Manufacturer	Eurocopter Group
Maiden flight	April 1991
Primary users	German Army Australian Army French Army Spanish Army

The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by the Eurocopter Group. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. It is also designated the EC 665 or PAH-2.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Export orders 2 Variants 2.1 Tiger HAP 2.2 UH Tiger 2.3 Tiger ARH 2.4 Tiger HAD 2.5 Cost 3 Operators 3.1 Military operators 4 Specifications (Eurocopter Tiger) 5 Popular culture 6 External links 7 Related content

[edit] History

In 1984 the French and German governments issued a requirement for an advanced multi-role battlefield helicopter. A joint venture consisting of Aerospatiale and MBB was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier. Due to high costs, the program was canceled in 1986, but was relaunched during 1987. Subsequently, in November 1989, Eurocopter received a contract to build 5 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.

[edit] 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. Some local assembly and production will also take place.

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[1]. 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 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. [2]

[edit] Variants

It should be noted that, while the Tiger has a conventional helicopter gunship configuration of the two crew sitting in tandem, it is somewhat unusual in that the pilot is in the front seat and the gunner is in the back, unlike all other current attack helicopters. As a consequence, the seats are offset to opposite sides of the centerline to improve the view forward for the gunner in the back.

[edit] Tiger HAP

The Tiger HAP/HCP (Helicoptere d'Appui Protection / Helicopter for Close Protection) is a medium-weight air-to-air combat and fire support helicopter built for the French Army.

It is fitted with a chin-mounted 30 mm gun turret and 68 mm SNEB unguided rockets for the fire support role as well as Mistral air-to-air missiles.

[edit] UH Tiger

The UHT (from Unterstützungshubschrauber Tiger; Ger. supporting helicopter Tiger) is a medium-weight multi-role fire support helicopter built for the Bundeswehr (German Army).

The UHT can carry Trigat "fire and forget" and/or HOT3 anti-tank missiles as well as 70 mm SNEB air-to-ground fire support rockets. Four AIM-92 Stinger missiles (2 on each side) are mounted for air-to-air combat. Unlike the HAP/HCP version it has no integrated gun turret, but a 12.7 mm gunpod can be fitted if needed. The German Army decided against the French 30 mm GIAT cannon that is used on other Tiger versions because of the recoil. The upgrade of the UHT with the Rheinmetall RMK30, a 30 mm recoilless autocannon, is not yet clarified due the budget.
Another noticeable difference with the HAP version is the use of a mast-mounted sight, which has a second-generation infrared channel and a TV channel.

Countermeasures include radar/laser/missile launch/missile approach warning receivers and decoy launchers.

[edit] Tiger ARH

The Tiger ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) is the version used by the Australian Army. The Tiger ARH is a modified and upgraded version of the Tiger HAP with upgraded MTR390 engines as well as a laser designator incorporated in the Strix sight for the firing of Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles. Instead of the SNEB unguided missile, the ARH use the 70 mm(2.75Inch) rockets developed in Belgium.

[edit] Tiger HAD

The Tiger HAD (Hélicoptère d'Appui Destruction [3]/ Support Destruction Helicopter) version is essentially identical to the HAP version, but with 14% more engine power available due to the upgraded Enhanced MTR390 engines and a better ballistic protection. It can also be equipped with the Trigat anti-tank missiles that were originally developed for the German UHT version.

The helicopter is suited for a support and fire suppression role and has been selected by the Spanish Army. The French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) decided to upgrade most of their HAP helicopters to the HAD-Variant and thus the former HAC Variant (i.e. Hélicoptère Anti-Char or Helicopter Anti-Tank) was cancelled.

By June 2006, 28 production Tigers were flying, including 18 aircraft delivered to their customers of 4 countries. These 28 aircraft had logged about 4000 flight hours together.

[edit] Cost

The system cost (helicopter, armament, support) depends on number and version:

• Tiger HAP $35-39 million USD
• Tiger ARH $36 million USD
• Tiger HAD $44-48 million USD
• Tiger UHT $38-43 million USD
• (Comparison Apache Longbow $48-52 million USD)

[edit] Operators

[edit] Military operators

The Tiger is used or will be used by the following countries:

•  Australia: 22 aircraft of the ARH version
•  France: 80 aircraft - 40 HAP and 40 HAD
•  Germany: 80 aircraft - all of the UHT version
•  Spain: 24 aircraft of the HAD version

•  Saudi Arabia: the order of 12 aircraft has not been confirmed.

[edit] Specifications (Eurocopter Tiger)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot, weapon systems officer)
• Length: 14.08 m fuselage (46 ft 2 in)
• Rotor diameter: 13.00 m (42 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.83 m (12 ft 7 in)
• Disc area: 530 m² (5,700 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,060 kg (6,750 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
• Internal fuel capacity: 1,080 kg (2,380 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce/Turboméca/MTU MTR390 turboshafts, 873 kW (1,170 shp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 280 km/h (151 knots, 175 mph)
• Range: 800 km (430 nm, 500 mi) combat
• Ferry range: 1,300 km (700 nm, 800 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10.7 m/s (2,105 ft/min)

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GIAT 30 cannon in chin turret (HAP, HAD, ARH) or
  • 1× 12.7 mm (0.50 in) or 20 mm (0.787 in) gun in pod (UHT)
• Rockets: Pods of
  • 19× 70 mm (2.76 in) SNEB (UHT, HAD), or
  • 19× 70 mm Hydra (ARH), or
  • 22× 68 mm (2.68 in) SNEB (HAP), or
  • 7× 70 mm SNEB or unguided rockets (HAD)
• Missiles:
  
  • 8× PARS 3 LR and/or HOT3 (UHT, French HAD) or
  • 8× Rafael Spike-ER (Spanish HAD) or
  • 8× AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles (ARH)
  • 4× FIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles (UHT, ARH) or
  • 4× Mistral air-to-air missiles (HAP, HAD)

[edit] Popular culture

The helicopter's first major public appearance was in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, where the theft of a prototype was a major plot element.

The Tiger also appears in the PC game Battlefield 2, as the HAP variant. It is the helicopter for the EU army in the expansion pack Euro Force.

[edit] External links

• Tiger HAP at Eurocopter.com
• Tiger UHT at Eurocopter.com
• Tiger UHT at Deutschesheer.de (German Army's website)

[edit] Related content

Comparable aircraft

• AH-64 Apache
• Mil Mi-28
• WZ-10
• HAL Light Combat Helicopter