Tiger officially enters Tiger-replacement race
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Airbus Helicopters is offering what they say is a cost-effective approach for taking the Tiger platform beyond 2040, in response to the Commonwealth of Australia’s Request for Information for the Project LAND4503 Armed Reconnaissance Capability.
FILE PHOTO: Airbus Helicopters
The RFI seeks solutions for the Australian Army’s future armed reconnaissance helicopter needs.
Airbus says their proposal will offer the Australian Army and taxpayer with more than AUD$3 billion in savings against the expected budget for LAND4503.
Airbus Australia Pacific Managing Director Andrew Mathewson said Tiger was an extremely agile, effective, and digitally connected armed reconnaissance helicopter.
“Since delivery, the Australian Tiger has matured into a fully operational army capability, and is integrated into the combined arms team,” Mathewson said.
“It continues to prove itself as an adaptable platform, and is now a key element of Australia’s amphibious capabilities on-board the Canberra-class landing helicopter docks.
“Cost per flight hour of the Australian Tiger has reduced by more than 30 per cent, and the sortie success rate is currently sitting at above 95 per cent.
“It is these measures that are acknowledged in Australia and internationally as unmatched, and place Tiger in a compelling position.
“Airbus proudly delivers a strong Australian industry capability, including more than 260 local staff supporting Tiger,” Mr Mathewson added.
“The Tiger fleet has proven itself in diverse and extreme environments around the world with 120,000 flights hours logged by international operators, including more than 30,000 in Australia. It has provided support to counter-insurgency operations in Mali, security operations in Afghanistan, and amphibious strike in Libya, operating reliably in the harsh extremes of heat and cold of the desert and in the maritime domain.”
Globally, 181 Tigers have been delivered to Australia, France, Germany and Spain.
Mr Mathewson said Tiger was first deployed by the French Army in Afghanistan in 2009 and continued to demonstrate its essential role in theatres of operation as a highly versatile, stealthy, and manoeuvrable attack helicopter.
Project LAND4503 is colloquially known as the Tiger replacement project, and Airbus Helicopter was always expected to contest.
Whichever platform is chosen, it is expected to enter service around 2028.
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Share the post "Tiger officially enters Tiger-replacement race"
What, they want to sell us one now, that actually works, what a hide?
We better get the GB attach helicopters. The apache is left under-defeated and to say tiger was a success is a joke! The ADF never went operational (to my knowledge) outside of Australia! Also tiger is an old airframe, also is the apache but apache has had huge amount of R&D so the ADF choice of Attack helicopters naturally should be the Apache!