PAUL DERBY
Eurocopter says production of the Tiger attack helicopter is off to a flying start. It is on target to deliver the first machines to the French and German governments at the end of next year.
The two nations have signed up for an initial batch of 80 Tigers each and with those orders secured, the manufacturer has turned its sights on winning a first international order for the aircraft.
The PT3 and PT5 prototypes have been used to qualify the UHT Tiger variant, which will be employed by the German army air corps as anti-tank machines.
Eurocopter says the UHT can be equipped with either the HOT anti-tank missile or 'fire-and-forget' Trigat LR missiles, plus Stinger air-to-air missiles, rockets and a gun pod. Development of the HAP escort/support version of the aircraft was completed at the end of 2000.
The HAPs are being built in France at Marignane, while the anti-tank helicopters will be assembled at Donauworth in Germany.
On the international front, the Tiger is a front-runner in Australia's long-awaited Air 87 contest, where its bid is based around the HAP version.
The Australian aircraft would be more than 95% common with the French army's HAP machines, but the laser rangefinder would be replaced by a laser designator for the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missile.
One of the prime export markets for the Tiger is Spain, where complex negotiations have been under way for months, centring on Spain taking a stake in the programme alongside its French and German counterparts.
Source: Flight Daily News
