Airbus Helicopters delivered the first two Tiger attack helicopters of the HAD Block 2 version to the French Army, the company said on Thursday.
The HAD Block 2 Tiger helicopter first passed a qualification by the French General Directorate for Armament on Nov. 21.
The Black 2 version of the Tiger provides additional enhancements of HAD version. This includes improved targeting accuracy for rockets, the addition of combat external fuel tanks that provide longer flight times while still enabling the full complement of armament to be used, an extension of the flight domain in which Spike and Hellfire anti-tank missiles can be fired, and the integration of digital communications for operations in today’s digital battlefield, the company said.
The HAD Block 2 are also “navalized”, allowing them to be used from ships and in sea locations.
These aircraft are to be operated by GAMSTAT (the aero-mobility group belonging to the technical section of the French Army) and then assigned to the 1
st Army Combat Helicopter Regiment, at the Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base in the Moselle region. The Regiment already operated HAD Block 1 helicopters, which have been deployed to the Central African Republic
Older French Tiger attack helicopters have been deployed to Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya, and Mali.
Airbus has previously delivered more than 110 Tigers to France, Germany, Spain, and Australia. That includes six HAD Block 1 attack helicopters for the French Army plus 40 in the HAP support and escort configuration.