Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is a four - bladed , twin - engined attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003 . It is manufactured by Eurocopter , the successor company to Aérospatiale ' s and Daimler - Benz Aerospace AG ' s respective helicopter divisions , who designate it as the EC 665 . In Germany it is known as the Tiger ; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre . Development of the Tiger had started during the Cold War , it was initially intended as an anti tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe . Due to a prolonged development period during which the Soviet Union was peacefully dissolved , France and Germany chose to proceed with the Tiger , developing it as a multirole attack helicopter instead , achieving operational readiness in 2008 . The Tiger has the distinction of being the first all - composite helicopter developed in Europe ; and incorporates other advanced features such as a glass cockpit , stealth technology and high agility in order to increase its survivability . Improved variants have also begun to enter service , outfitted with more powerful engines and compatible with a wider range of weapons . Since the type ' s introduction to service , Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan , Libya , and Mali . Development . Origins and early development . In 1984 , the French and West German governments issued a requirement for an advanced multirole battlefield helicopter . A joint venture consisting of Aérospatiale and MBB was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier . In 1986 , the development programme was effectively cancelled due to spiralling costs ; it had been officially calculated that supplying the German forces with an equivalent number of US - produced McDonnell Douglas AH - 64 Apache attack helicopters would have been a considerably cheaper alternative to proceeding with development of the Tiger . According to statements by the French Defence Minister André Giraud in April 1986 , the collaborative effort had become more expensive than an individual national programme and was forecast to take longer to complete as well . In July 1986 , a government report into the project alleged that the development had become distanced from the requirements and preferences of the military customers the Tiger was being developed for . Both France and Germany reorganised the programme , including steps such the adoption of fixed term contracts which placed greater financial risk upon the private firms involved . Thomson CSF also took over the majority of the Tiger ' s electronic development work , such as the visual systems and sensors . Despite the early development problems and the political uncertainty between 1984 and 1986 , the program was formally relaunched in November 1987 ; it was at this point that a greater emphasis on the attack helicopter ' s anti - tank capabilities came about . Much of the project ' s organisational framework was rapidly redeveloped between 1987 and 1989 ; such as the installation of a Franco - German Helicopter Office to act as a program executive agency in May 1989 . In November 1989 , Eurocopter signed an agreement that financially secured the majority of the helicopter ' s development through to serial production , including arrangements for two assembly lines to be built at Aerospatiale ' s Marignane plane and MBB ' s Donauworth facility . This same arrangement also included the manufacture of five Tiger prototypes . Three were to operate as unarmed testbeds and the other two as armed combat prototypes with one for the French escort helicopter variant and the other for the German anti - tank variant . The first prototype took the Tiger ' s maiden flight on 27 April 1991 that lasted for 30 minutes . Due to the end of the Cold War and subsequent defence budgets decreases in the 1990s , financial pressures led to further questions regarding the necessity for the entire program ; in 1992 there was speculation that the German Defence Ministry may not continue with the project due to the requirement to make fiscal cutbacks . However , Germany was also increasingly keen for the Tiger to perform a wider assortment of missions ; beyond being an excellent anti - tank platform , the specifications of the German platform was modified to include armed battlefield reconnaissance , close air support duties to support friendly ground troops , and escorting of other helicopters . In 1992 , Aérospatiale and MBB , among other companies , merged to form the Eurocopter Group ; this led to considerable consolidation of the aerospace industry and the Tiger project itself . A major agreement was struck in December 1996 between France and Germany that cemented the Tiger ' s prospects and committed the development of supporting elements , such as a series of new generation missile designs for use by the new combat helicopter . National political issues continued to affect the prospects of the Tiger however . A proposed sale of up to 145 Tigers to Turkey proved a source of controversy ; Turkey selected the Tiger as the preferred option , but conflicting attitudes between Eurocopter , France , and Germany in regards to military exports led to Turkey withdrawing its interest . On 18 June 1999 , both Germany and France publicly placed orders for an initial batch of 160 Tiger helicopters , 80 for each nation , valued at €3 . 3 billion . On 22 March 2002 , the first production Tiger was rolled out in a large ceremony held at Eurocopter ' s Donauworth factory ; although production models began initial acceptance trials in 2003 , the first official delivery to the French Army took place on 18 March 2005 ; the first official Tiger delivery to the Germany followed on 6 April 2005 . Germany reduced its order to 57 in March 2013 . In 2008 OCCAR estimated the project cost at . France ' s FY2012 budget put their share of the project at €6 . 3bn ( ~ US $ 8 . 5bn ) , implying a programme cost of €14 . 5bn ( ~ US $ 19 . 5bn ) to the three main partners . At FY2012 prices , their 40 HAP cost €27m / unit ( ~ US $ 36m ) and their 40 HAD €35 . 6m / unit ( ~ US $ 48m ) , including development costs the French Tigers cost €78 . 8m ( ~ US $ 106m ) each . Exports . During the 1990s , export prospects for the Tiger had been invigorated by two large bids for orders from Britain and the Netherlands . Discreet talks between Britain and France regarding an association with the Tiger had been continuing since the late 1980s and , although Britain has initially dismissed industrial participation in the project , it was known by the mid 1990s that Britain was prepared to purchase modern attack helicopters from abroad . Eurocopter ' s management were keen to press production of the Tiger into action as soon as possible , as uncertainty over the date at which production , and therefore availability , would start was viewed as negatively impacting potential export deals . In both the Netherlands and Britain , a considerable amount of lobbying pressure was applied in the hopes of the Tiger ' s selection . However , ultimately neither country would order the Tiger to meet their requirements . On 21 December 2001 , Eurocopter was awarded the contract to meet the Australian Army ' s " AIR 87 requirement " for 22 Tiger helicopters of the ARH ( Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter ) version . Modifications from the standard Tiger included new communications and avionics systems , as well as compatibility with Australian safety requirements . Per the contract ' s terms , 18 of the 22 aircraft were assembled at Australian Aerospace ' s Brisbane facility , a subsidiary of Eurocopter . On 1 July 2007 , because of delays in attaining operational capability , Australia ' s Defence Materiel Organisation stopped all payments in regards to the procurement . According to Australia ' s Department of Defense , by 2008 the main issues had been addressed and payments resumed accordingly . In October 2010 , it was revealed that the helicopters will not be fully operational for another two years . In December 2011 , the final Tiger ARH was delivered to the Australian Army . 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 would be armed with the PARS 3 LR and Mistral missile systems , and feature uprated Enhanced MTR390 engines capable of lifting heavier payloads . Deliveries of the HAD variant began in 2007 . The September 2003 arrangements not only involved a procurement deal but the induction of Spain into the Tiger program itself , leading to the greater integration of parts of Spain ' s aeronautics industry with the new multinational Eurocopter organisation . Shortly following Spain ' s order , France chose to not proceed with the pure anti - tank Tiger HAC variant , instead electing to procure the multirole - oriented Tiger HAD being procured by Spain . In July 2006 , the Saudi government signed a €6 . 9 billion contract for the sale of 142 helicopters , including 12 Tiger attack helicopters . However , in late 2007 , the deal was cancelled for unknown reasons . In May 2007 , in response to an issued tender for 22 attack helicopters for the Indian Air Force , the Tiger was entered into a competition against multiple Russian and American helicopters . In late 2009 , it was reported that the Tiger would not be able to participate in the Indian field trials as it was to undergo upgrades . In 2011 , several Tigers participated in firing trials of the PARS 3 LR missile as part of a sales effort targeted at the Indian armed forces . As of 2012 , the Tiger is competing for a ₩1 . 8 trillion contract to provide up to 20 attack helicopters for South Korea , along with the Boeing AH - 64 Apache and the TAI / AgustaWestland T - 129 . In January 2013 , Eurocopter was reportedly in active discussions over potential Tiger procurements with Brazil , Malaysia , and Qatar . Design . Overview . The Tiger is capable of undertaking a wide range of combat missions , including armed reconnaissance and surveillance , anti - tank and close air support , escort and protection of friendly assets ; and can operate during day or night in all - weather conditions , and has been designed to include operations in the aftermath of nuclear , biological , or chemical warfare . The Tiger can also be used in the maritime environment , able to operate from the decks of ships including frigate s and during extreme weather conditions . Amongst the Tiger ' s notable qualities , it possesses very high levels of agility , much of which is attributed to the design of its 13 - meter four - bladed hingeless main rotor ; the Tiger can perform full loops and negative " g " manoeuvres . Power is provided by a pair of FADEC - controlled MTU Turbomeca Rolls - Royce MTR390 turboshaft engines . The Tiger has a tandem - seat ' glass cockpit ' and is operated by a two - man crew ; the pilot is placed in the forward position , with the gunner seated behind . Either of the crew members can manage the weapon systems or the primary flight controls , switching roles if necessitated ; in addition to flying the aircraft , the Tiger ' s pilot would typically be in control of the self - defence systems and communications , as well as some secondary weapons functions . While some of the weapons use dedicated control interfaces , such as the anti - tank Trigat missile , air - to - air weapons can be managed via controls on both sets of collective and cyclic sticks . Crew new to the Tiger have to undergo substantial retraining due to the differences from older platforms , particularly in higher workload management and the additional capabilities afforded by the type ; one major change from preceding attack helicopters is a far greater degree of operational autonomy . According to Andrew Warner , chief test pilot during the Tiger ' s development , it is " the easiest - handling aircraft I have ever flown " . The system cost ( helicopter , armament , support ) and unit cost varies between variants ; Australia ' s Tiger ARH has a price per unit of A $ 68 million , the latest Tiger HAD variant is estimated to cost US $ 44 – 48 million . Survivability . The protection systems employed on the Tiger includes stealth ; aspects such as the visual , radar , infra - red and acoustic signatures have been minimised to better evade threats that may be present upon the battlefield . According to Andrew Warner , the Tiger ' s survivability " relies on stealth and agility " . The fuselage is armour ed and was developed to withstand small arms fire and cannon rounds . The helicopter has various radar / laser warning and missile - approach detection systems , including EADS ' s AN / AAR - 60 MILDS ( Missile Launch Detection System ) , as well as flare s and chaff dispensers . The Tiger is the first all - composite helicopter developed in Europe . The fuselage of the Tiger is made from 80 % carbon fibre - reinforced polymer and kevlar , 11 % aluminium , and 6 % titanium . The entire tail section is made of composites , including the single - section tail boom . The rotors , composed of a fiber - plastic composite material , able to withstand combat damage and bird strike s . The structure of the Tiger also incorporates protection against lightning strikes and electromagnetic pulses via an embedded copper / bronze grid and copper bonding foil . The design of the Tiger includes a high degree of crash - worthiness , many of the on - board systems have redundancies and are segregated to minimise damage impact . Components of the propulsion system , such as the rotors and driving shift , were deliberately designed for greater ballistic tolerance than traditional designs ; the gearbox also is rated for a 30 minute dry - run capability if lubrication is lost . Fuel is contained in two main internal fuel tanks , an additional two smaller tanks are housed inside the stub wings . In the extreme inhospitable conditions of the Afghanistan theatre , the Tiger had a reported operational availability of 90 % . Avionics and armaments . Amongst the key avionics features of the aircraft are the EUROGRID battlefield management and map display systems , integrated communications ( HF / VHM / FM radio and satellite ) and data transfer links , a high - authority digital automatic flight control system , and redundant MIL 1553 data buses . Two redundant mission computers control the weapons , sensors , and targeting functions . The Tiger ' s navigational suite includes GPS , dual - redundant inertial referencing , Doppler radar , separated air data units , radio altimeter and distributed air speed sensors . A dedicated nose - mounted forward - looking infrared ( FLIR ) sensor is used by the pilot for night time flying . Each crew member has a pair of multifunction liquid - crystal data displays at their control station , typically used to display internal systems information and sensory data , and to interact with the aircraft ' s higher systems . An additional display system is available to both crew in the form of the helmet - mounted display ( HMD ) . The HMD is used by the flying pilot to display basic flight data with digitally - enhanced optics , such as night vision or infrared imagery from the sensors , superimposed against ; the gunner can use the HMD to interact with and control on - board weapon systems and view targeting data . Perhaps the most significant single avionics system fitted upon the Tiger is the mast - mounted Osiris sight / sensor ; this incorporates optical TV and thermal cameras , a laser range finder / tracker / designator , and multiple gyroscopes for stabilisation . Osiris performs as the main sensor for target observation and acquisition , providing firing and targeting data via the weapons computer ; Osiris also enables entirely - passive target acquisition to be undertaken and was developed to maximise the capabilities of the Trigat anti - tank missile developed in parallel to the Tiger itself . An alternative optical system to Osiris is mounted on the aircraft ' s roof upon some variants . The Tiger is capable of equipping various armaments including rockets , cannon , and a range of air - to - air and air - to - surface missiles , controlled via a dedicated weapons control computer . Munitions for anti - ground warfare include the nose - mounted 30mm Nexter turret ; an assortment of external gun pods , anti tank missiles , and up to four launchers for 70mm and 68mm rockets can be mounted on the Tiger ' s stub - wings . When deploying missiles such as the Mistral , the Tiger is capable of taking advantage of the munition ' s off - boresight capabilities . Operational history . In December 2008 , final qualification of the HAP and UHT variants of the Tiger was completed , marking the platform ' s readiness for operational duties overseas . In May 2009 , the Tiger participated in readiness trials off the coast of Toulon to clear the type for active ship - board deployments . By November 2009 , nearly 50 Tigers had been delivered to customers and the worldwide fleet had accumulated more than 13 , 000 flight hours . In July 2009 , three French Tiger HAP helicopters of the 5th Helicopter Regiment arrived at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan , marking the first active deployment of the Tiger into an active combat zone . The helicopters performed armed reconnaissance and fire support missions , acting in support of coalition ground troops fighting a Taliban insurgency . The Tigers had their operational certification in Afghanistan in early August 2009 ; one French officer described the Tiger ' s role in the theatre as " find , attack , suppress , seize , raid , and support " . By July 2010 , it was reported that the Tiger detachment had totaled 1 , 000 operational hours in Afghanistan . On 4 February 2011 , a French Tiger crashed during a nighttime operation about 30 miles east of Kabul , both crew members suffered light injuries . In August 2009 , the German magazine " Der Spiegel " reported that the ten operational Tigers in the German Army were only suitable for pilot training , while others had not been accepted due to defects . In May 2010 , Germany suspended deliveries over " serious defects particularly with wiring " ; in response Eurocopter stated that " Corrective measures related to wiring problems have been developed , agreed by the customer and are being implemented " , and that two corrected helicopters would soon be handed over to the German military . During the 2011 military intervention in Libya , France deployed the amphibious assault helicopter carrier , carrying a number of Tiger attack helicopters aboard , to the Libyan coast conduct military operations upon military targets within Libya . On 4 June 2011 , French Tigers , alongside British Army Apache helicopters , began combat operations in Libya . During December 2012 , a total of four German Tiger UHTs were deployed to Afghanistan . The UHTs are operating from Mazar - i - Sharif Air Base inside Afghanistan ; all Tiger helicopters deployed to the zone underwent an upgrade and reconfiguration programme to suit the theatre . These changes included the addition of new defensive systems and sand filters , as well as alterations to the on - board communications suite . In March 2013 , Spain also deployed three Tiger HAPs to the region to operate in support of Spanish ground forces . In January 2013 , as part of France ' s intervention in the Northern Mali conflict , a small number of Tigers have been deployed for combat operations in the theatre . Variants . UH Tiger . The UHT ( from " Unterstützungshubschrauber Tiger " German for " Support Helicopter Tiger " ) is a medium - weight multi - role fire support helicopter built for the " Bundeswehr " ( German Armed Forces ) . Under an agreement between the German government and Eurocopter made in March 2013 , a total of 57 Tiger UHs are to be procured . The UHT can carry PARS 3 LR " fire and forget " and / or HOT3 anti - tank missiles as well as Hydra 70 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 gunpod can be fitted if needed . The German Army decided against the French GIAT cannon used on other Tiger versions due to dissatisfation with the heavy recoil of this weapon . Another difference is the use of a mast - mounted sight , which has second - generation infrared and CCD TV cameras ( range 18 km ) . Tiger HAP . The Tiger HAP / HCP ( " Hélicoptère d ' Appui Protection " , French for " " Support and Escort Helicopter " " / " Hélicoptère de Combat Polyvalent " French for " Multipurpose Combat Helicopter " ) is a medium - weight air - to - air combat and fire support helicopter built for the French Army . It is fitted with a chin - mounted GIAT 30 mm gun turret and can carry 68 mm SNEB unguided rockets or 20 mm machine cannons for the fire support role as well as Mistral air - to - air missiles . France ' s 40 HAP were delivered by 2012 at a cost of €27m / unit ( ~ US $ 36m ) in 2012 prices . Tiger HAD . The Tiger HAD ( " Hélicoptère d ' Appui Destruction " , in French or " Helicoptero de Apoyo y Destrucción " in Spanish for " Support and Destruction Helicopter " ) version is essentially identical to the HAP version , but with 14 % more engine power available due to the upgraded Enhanced MTR390 engines ( 1 , 000 kW / 1 , 341 shp ) and a better ballistic protection , as a result of the specific requests made by the Spanish Army . It will be equipped with the Hellfire II , and the Spike ER anti - armour missiles . The helicopter is suited for a support and fire suppression role . It was selected by the Spanish Army and the French Army Light Aviation ( ALAT ) decided to upgrade most of their HAP helicopters to the HAD variant . In December 2004 , Spain ordered 24 of the HAD variant and France ordered 40 HADs . France ' s 40 HAD will cost €35 . 6m / unit ( ~ US $ 48m ) in 2012 prices . Tiger ARH . The Tiger ARH ( Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter ) is the version ordered by the Australian Army to replace its OH - 58 Kiowa s and UH - 1 Iroquois - based ' Bushranger ' gunships . 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 SNEB unguided rockets , the ARH will use 70 mm ( 2 . 75 in ) rockets from Belgian developer , Forges de Zeebruges ( FZ ) . 22 of the variant were ordered in December 2001 . Most of the helicopters will be operated by the 1st Aviation Regiment based at Robertson Barracks in Darwin . The first two ARH helicopters were delivered to Australia on 15 December 2004 . ARH deliveries were to be completed . Full operating capability was planned for December 2011 .