From Defence Aerospace

 

Eurocopter Proudly Announces the Official Acceptance of the first HAP Tiger by the Délégation Générale pour l’Armement.

(Source: Eurocopter; issued March 18, 2005)

 

MARIGNANE, France --- Engineer General Jacques Sandeau was at Marignane on 18 March to officially deliver the first of its 80 Tiger helicopters to the French Army Air Corps (ALAT). General Sandeau heads the Service des Programmes Aéronautiques (Aeronautical Programs Department) of the Délégation Générale pour l’Armement (French defence procurement agency).

 

This decisive step not only marks the qualitative acceptance of the helicopters in terms of performances and systems, but also the start of deliveries, which will continue without a break until 2010.

 

In 2005, plans call for the delivery of 10 Tigers in the HAP Combat Support configuration to France and Spain.

 

The initial Tiger helicopters will be assigned to the Franco-German Tiger Training Academy at Le Luc in Southern France.

 

The weapons system of the Tiger HAP Combat Support Helicopter includes a 30 mm turret-mounted gun (GIAT) slaved to the pilot's and gunner's helmet-mounted sight, rockets (TDA), and Mistral air-to-air missiles (MBDA).

 

Thanks to its size and stealth, the HAP is ideally suited to the various forms of localized conflicts, where it can - completely independently - acquire, identify and process the targets.

 

France and Germany have ordered an initial batch of 160 Tiger helicopters, Australia 22, and Spain 24 HAD Tigers.

 

Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of EUR 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.

heya pooners,

 

french Tiger are getting Hellfire II:

 

Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Integrate Hellfire II Missile on Tiger Helicopter

 

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a direct commercial sale contract by Eurocopter to support integration of the Hellfire II precision-strike missile and all-digital M299 “smart†missile launcher on the Hélicoptère d'Appui Destruction (HAD) Tiger attack helicopter. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. (...)

 

cheers,

 

Jan

Hiya Jan. Good to see you around.