Home Europe French Army receives final HAD Tiger attack helicopter

French Army receives final HAD Tiger attack helicopter

Photo: OCCAR

The French Army has received the final of 67 Tiger attack helicopters delivered in the HAD (Hélicoptère d’Appui Destruction) configuration.

In the HAD configuration, the Airbus-built helicopters have better ballistic protection, greater take-off weight and are better suited for operations in hot environments.

While 185 Tigers have been produced for France, Germany, Spain, and Australia, the program is still active. Another 36 helicopters are going through retrofit in France, from the HAP to the HAD configuration. This activity will continue until 2024, according to the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR).

In Germany, 33 Tigers are currently upgraded onto the ASGARD-configuration (Afghanistan Stabilization German Army Rapid Deployment), with the first one coming out of retrofit in the coming months.

OCCAR and Airbus are working closely together to offer technical, organizational and contractual solutions in line with the needs of the four nations using the Tiger.

Tiger HAD is designed to perform armed reconnaissance, air or ground escort, air-to-air combat, ground fire support, destruction and anti-tank warfare. A block 2 version of the four-bladed helicopter is also “navalized,” allowing operations from ships and in maritime environments. The helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 6,600 kilos, an armed range of 340 nautical miles, and a fast cruise speed of 164 knots.

Photo: Airbus