French Army receives first Tiger HAD Block 2 aircraft
The first two Tiger HAD Block 2 attack helicopters have been delivered to the French Army by Airbus Helicopters, following the completion of qualification testing by the French General Directorate for Armament in November.
The Block 2 variant aircraft has a number of enhancements, including 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, and an extension of the flight domain in which Spike and Hellfire anti-tank missiles can be fired. Digital communications have also been integrated.
The aircraft has also been navalised to enable operation from ships and within naval environments.
The new HAD Block 2 aircraft will be operated by the aero-mobility group belonging to the technical section of the French Army, GAMSTAT; then will be assigned to the 1st Army Combat Helicopter Regiment, located at the Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base in France’s Moselle region, where they will join the existing HAD Block 1 fleet.
Airbus Helicopters has delivered six HAD Block 1 attack helicopters for the French Army, along with 40 in the HAP support and escort configuration. France’s Tiger fleet has seen operational deployment in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya and Mali.
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