Tigre flies off the Mistral
Just two weeks after playing host to the first-ever shipborne landing of a Russian Ka-52 Alligator, two Tigres, two Pumas and two Gazelles have been operating off the deck of the French Navy's Mistral assault ship.
The tests were significant allowing the helicopter to validate its ability to operate from helicopter carriers.
During a week of manouvers, the instructors of the Air Mobility Group of the Technical Division of the Army (GAMSTAT) trained aircrews of the 5th Combat Helicopters Regiment (RHC) based at Pau and the Mistral's crew.
Part of the training included landing exercises for pilots, folding blades lessons for technicians on board. One of the highlights of the EXTA 3 exercise is a final live fire with rockets and cannons. This took place on December 10 with both Tigres flying live fire missions on the island of Levant.
The commander of the Mistral, a former pilot of the French Fleet Air Arm said he welcomes the presence of personnel of Army Aviation, He said: "it allows the Mistral to implement one of its main building blocks, the projection of airmobile capability, while strengthening the ties of interoperability between the Army and Navy."
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