Еурокоптер Тигр шабуылдық тікұшағы

European attack helicopter

The Eurocopter Tiger is a four blade, twin engine attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), which arose from the merger of Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helicopter divisions. Airbus Helicopters designates it as the EC665. In France and Spain, the Tiger is known as the Tigre (which is French and Spanish for Tiger), while in Germany it is referred to as the Tiger. Development of the Tiger started during the Cold War, and it was initially intended as an anti tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe. During its prolonged development period the Soviet Union collapsed, changing the European security situation. France and Germany chose to proceed with the Tiger, developing it instead as a multirole attack helicopter. It achieved operational readiness in 2008. The Tiger has the distinction of being the first all composite helicopter developed in Europe; even the earliest models also incorporate other advanced features such as a glass cockpit, stealth technology, and high agility to increase its survivability. Improved variants have since entered service, outfitted with more powerful engines and compatible with a wider range of weapons. Since entering service, Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali.

In 1984, the French and West German governments issued a requirement for an advanced anti tank helicopter, with one variant desired by the French dedicated to the escort and anti helicopter role. As originally planned, both countries would procure a total of 427 helicopters. The West Germans planned on acquiring 212 models of the anti tank variant named PAH 2 (Panzerabwehrhubschrauber or "Anti tank helicopter"), with deliveries starting at the end of 1992. The French wanted 75 HAPs (Hélicoptère d'Appui Protection or "Support and Escort Helicopter") and 140 HACs (Hélicoptère Anti Char or "Anti Tank Helicopter"), with deliveries starting at the end of 1991 and 1995 respectively. A joint venture consisting of Aérospatiale and MBB was subsequently chosen as the preferred supplier. In 1986, the development programme was effectively canceled due to spiraling 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 the 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 also forecast to take longer to complete. In July 1986, a government report into the project alleged that development had become distanced from the requirements and preferences of its military customers. 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 plant and MBB's Donauwörth facility. 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 might 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 for the German platform were modified to include armed battlefield reconnaissance, close air support of ground troops, and escorting 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 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, 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 Donauwörth 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 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 FY2013 budget put their share of the project at €6.4bn (~US$8.7bn), implying a programme cost of €14.7bn (~US$20.1bn) to the three main partners. The 2013 French White Paper changed the mix to 60 HAP and 20 of the more expensive HAD; at FY2013 prices, their HAP cost €27.4m/unit (~US$37m) and their HAD €36.1m/unit (~US$49m), including development costs the French Tigers cost €80m (~US$109m) each.

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 had 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 was 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, neither country would order the Tiger. 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 Defence, 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 August 2019, Australia announced LAND 4503, the Tiger ARH replacement program. 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. 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. In 2012, the Tiger competed 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; South Korea selected the AH 64 in April 2013. In January 2013, Eurocopter was reportedly in active discussions over potential Tiger procurements with Brazil, Malaysia, and Qatar.

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. 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. 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. 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 vary 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.

The protection systems employed on the Tiger includes stealth; aspects such as the visual, radar, infrared 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 armoured 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 flares and chaff dispensers. The Tiger is the first all composite helicopter developed in Europe. The entire tail section is made of composites, including the single section tail boom. The design of the Tiger includes a high degree of crash worthiness; many of the onboard systems have redundancies and are segregated to minimise the effect of damage. Fuel is contained in two main internal fuel tanks, and an additional two smaller tanks are housed inside the stub wings.

Amongst the key avionics features of the aircraft are the EUROGRID battlefield management and map display systems, integrated communications (HF/VHF/FM radio and satellite) and data transfer links, a high authority digital automatic flight control system, and redundant MIL 1553 data buses. 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 onboard weapon systems and view targeting data. 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. The Tiger can be fitted with various armaments including rockets, cannons, and a range of air to air and air to surface missiles, controlled via a dedicated weapons control computer.

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. 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". On 4 February 2011, a French Tiger crashed during a night time operation about 30 miles east of Kabul and 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 French ship Tonnerre amphibious assault helicopter carrier, carrying a number of Tiger attack helicopters aboard, to the Libyan coast to conduct military operations upon military targets within the country. On 4 June 2011, French Tigers, alongside British Army Apache helicopters, began conducting combat operations in Libya. In December 2012, a four ship flight of German Tiger UHTs was deployed to Afghanistan. Operating from Mazar i Sharif, they performed reconnaissance, ground support, and convoy protection missions. All had previously undergone upgrades under the ASGARD programme; the modifications include the addition of new defensive systems, sand filters for the MTR390 engines, and enhancements to the communications suite. Between 30 January 2013 and 30 June 2014, the German Tigers flew 1,860 hours and 260 sorties supporting NATO ground troops, Afghan security forces, and humanitarian relief efforts after floods. The model fired its first shots during combat in German service on 4 May 2013, providing armed overwatch to special forces troops with unguided rockets and machine gun fire. The German Army received its last ASGARD upgraded Tigers in March 2014. In March 2013, Spain also deployed three Tiger HADs to the region to provide support to the Spanish ground forces. In January 2013, as part of France's intervention in the Northern Mali conflict, a small number of Tigers were deployed for combat operations to that theatre. In March 2017, German Tigers were rotated into the same country in support of MINUSMA, relieving Apaches of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. On 26 July, one of the aircraft in question crashed in the desert 700 kilometres north of Gao, killing both pilots. A subsequent investigation discovered that mistakes by improperly trained civilian maintenance contractors had caused a fatal malfunction.

[[File:Eurocopter EC 665 Tiger UHT (crooped). jpg|thumb|In 2013 a German Army Tiger UHT fired its weapons for the first time in a CAS mission. The KHT 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 from Belgium manufacturer Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ). Four AIM 92 Stinger missiles (two 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 weapon configuration was designed to be multirole and easily convertible to cover the whole spectrum of possible mission scenarios and to be effective against a broad range of targets. Another difference is the use of a mast mounted sight, which has second generation infrared and CCD TV cameras (range 18 km).

thumb|right|A French Tiger HAP in 1993. Many units of this version were upgraded to the HAD version. 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. In December 2015, France decided to upgrade its entire existing Tiger fleet to the HAD standard by 2025. in French or Helicóptero de Apoyo y Destrucción in Spanish for "Support and Destruction Helicopter") version is essentially identical to the HAP version but better suited for operations in hot environments, with 14% more engine power available due to the upgraded Enhanced MTR390 engines (1,092 kW / 1,464 shp during normal operation; 1,322 kW / 1,774 shp in contingency power mode), maximum take off weight is increased to 6,600 kg, communication suite is expanded with Up Link and Down Link satellite antenna and better ballistic protection as a result of the specific requests made by the Spanish Army. It is equipped with the Hellfire II and the Spike ER anti armour missiles. It is suited for attack, escort, ground fire support, armed reconnaissance and air to air combat roles. 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. In March 2022 Airbus announced that it had reached agreement with France and Spain to proceed with the MkIII programme, 42 French helicopters will be upgraded with deliveries beginning 2029 and 18 Spanish beginning 2030, the prototype MkIII is expected to first fly in 2025. Each country's MkIII will be slightly different reflecting national requirements, the upgrades include improvements to the mast mounted electro optical system; the helmet mounted sight system; the enhanced vision system; radios; datalinks for manned unmanned teaming; new air to surface and air to air missiles, guns, and rockets; improved countermeasures; a new navigation system synchronised to the Galileo satellite navigation system; as well as an updated avionics suite that includes a new tactical data management system and battlefield management system.