Eurocopter Tiger

**Eurocopter Tiger**
Description
Eurocopter Tiger
Role	Attack helicopter
Crew	2 (pilot & weapon systems officer)
Dimensions
Length	15.80m (main rotor to tail rotor)
Fuselage length	14.08 m
Height	3.83 m (HAP/HCP); 5.20 m inc. mast-mounted sight (HAC/UHT)
Rotor diameter	13.00 m
Weights
Empty	3,060 kg
Max. internal fuel	1,080 kg
Max. take-off	6,000 kg
Powerplant
Engines	2 x Rolls-Royce / Turboméca / MTU MTR390 turboshafts
Power	873 kW
Performance
Max. speed	280 km/h
Combat range (internal fuel)	800 km
Ferry range (external fuel)	1300 km
Service ceiling	4,000 m
Max. rate of climb	10.7 m/s
Armament
Guns	1 x 30 mm cannon in chin turret (HAP/HCP) 1 x 12.7 mm or 20 mm gun in pod (HAC/UHT)
Missiles	2 pods of 22 68 mm unguided rockets 4 x Mistral air-to-air missiles (HAP/HCP) 8 x Trigat and/or HOT anti-tank missiles 4 x Stinger air-to-air missiles (HAC/UHT)

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

Table of contents

1 History
2 Users
3 Versions

3.1 Tiger HAP/HCP
3.2 Tiger HAC/UHT
3.3 Tiger ARH
3.4 Tiger HAD

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.

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 point.

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.

The deliveries of the 80 UHT version combat support helicopters ordered by Germany also began at the end of 2003.

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 is 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.

Users

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

Germany: 80 aircraft - all of the UHT version. A total requirement for 212 aircraft has been stated.
France: 80 aircraft - 70 of the combat support HAP version and 10 of the antitank HAC version. A total requirement for 215 aircraft has been stated.
Spain: 24 aircraft of the HAD version.
Australia: 22 aircraft of the ARH version.

Versions

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 production 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.