First 3 TIGER HAD/F Block 2 Helicopters for France

[Hindustani78]

First 3 TIGER HAD/F Block 2 Helicopters for France
The French Republic received its first three TIGER HAD/F Block 2 helicopters in early December 2014. All three helicopters were delivered within a 2 week period. Prior to delivery, the HAD/F Block 2 received its Type Certification granted by the French procurement office DGA on the 17 November 2014 and the French “Prononcé de Qualification” was issued four days later.

© Thierry Rostang / Airbus Helicopters

These helicopters complement the 39 HAP/F and 6 HAD/F Block 1 helicopters already in service with the French Armed Forces, some of them already deployed in various operational theatres.

This major HAD Programme milestone provides new capabilities to the French Armed Forces, including:
- an IFF Mode 5/S enhanced,
- a Naval capability,
- a Firing capability with Combat External Tank,
- an upgraded Software version with important Man Machine Interface improvements and software corrections.

The next 15 helicopters will be delivered directly in the HAD/F Block 2 configuration. The rest of the HAP/F and HAD/F Block 1 fleet will be subsequently retrofitted to this version as well.

© Thierry Rostang / Airbus Helicopters
These first HAD/F Block 2 deliveries were celebrated by a special event at Marignane on 10 December 2014 involving the French TIGER Programme Manager, Mr. Alexandre Barouh, the OCCAR TIGER Programme Manager, Mr. David Colliquet, and several representatives from the French Official Services, Airbus Helicopter and OCCAR TIGER Programme Division (ODT).

The HAD Programme is now focusing on the next major Programme milestones: the bilateral French-Spanish HAD Block 2 Qualification and the subsequent HAD/E Block 2 deliveries to Spain.

 

[C130]

not entirely impressed by the Tigre or this upgrade.

 

[SQ8]

not entirely impressed by the Tigre or this upgrade.

The tigre is to helicopters what modern games with DLCs are to video games. You really think you will get a lot in the package but when you really find out about it you see that while on the surface it looked really promising, there are a lot of things that need to be bought for and unlocked before it actually becomes really fun to play.

 

[C130]

The tigre is to helicopters what modern games with DLCs are to video games. You really think you will get a lot in the package but when you really find out about it you see that while on the surface it looked really promising, there are a lot of things that need to be bought for and unlocked before it actually becomes really fun to play.

I'm not really fond of the base Tiger helicopter.
not enough firepower and to light/power.

it's like a light attack helicopter+++, but you could get AH-6I MD-540F for significantly cheaper.

better options for the price in the AH-64E,ATAK, and Mi-28NE

 

[SQ8]

I'm not really fond of the base Tiger helicopter.
not enough firepower and to light/power.

it's like a light attack helicopter+++, but you could get AH-6I MD-540F for significantly cheaper.

better options for the price in the AH-64E,ATAK, and Mi-28NE

Its like a really over engineered airframe with no fangs to boot. The AH-64E may stand its head in the pack, but as a size comparison the ATAK and the Zulu Cobra(or a modernized Twin Cobra) still offer more bang for the buck. However, that is the story with most French productions post 80s; overpriced and not worth their salt if other options are available. Still, since most competitors come from the US or Russia with the latter's not completely reliable.. the French end up being a hobson's choice for many countries.

 

[C130]

Its like a really over engineered airframe with no fangs to boot. The AH-64E may stand its head in the pack, but as a size comparison the ATAK and the Zulu Cobra(or a modernized Twin Cobra) still offer more bang for the buck. However, that is the story with most French productions post 80s; overpriced and not worth their salt if other options are available. Still, since most competitors come from the US or Russia with the latter's not completely reliable.. the French end up being a hobson's choice for many countries.

I feel the Tiger was designed to face the Soviet Union and zerg tank rushes into Poland.
it is defiantly over engineered and delays killed it's debut.

 

[SQ8]

I feel the Tiger was designed to face the Soviet Union and zerg tank rushes into Poland.
it is defiantly over engineered and delays killed it's debut.

Would not have fared any better there either. With an optional cannon, and various software mods incomplete.. it would not have been effective at anything more than just delaying the Tank thrusts for a bit.
By contrast, the Apache and even the Cobra had more to spew out at the instant of combat.

 

[flamer84]

The more i've read about the Tiger,the more it symbolises European cooperation .It sounds good on paper but in the end the finite product is a compilation of different wishes packed into one without a clear cut result.The same with the NH90,EF Typhoon.I'm actually scared to think of the rumoured new tank cooperation between Fra-Ger.

 

[Aepsilons]

 

[sancho]

The more i've read about the Tiger,the more it symbolises European cooperation .It sounds good on paper but in the end the finite product is a compilation of different wishes packed into one without a clear cut result.The same with the NH90,EF Typhoon.I'm actually scared to think of the rumoured new tank cooperation between Fra-Ger.

That's the actual problem and the same can be seen now at the F35 project as well. Whenever you don't agree on a single version, that includes the same systems and requirements for all customers, it gets complicated. Germany basically made a huge mistake with their Tiger version, that really was aimed on old Cold War tactics fighting tanks only, similar issues can be seen at the Eurofighter, where too many customer have individual wishes and even the NH90 is offered with too many possible customisations to please a variety of customers. If you develop the products in a more simpler manner and a common goal for all developers, it will be easier and faster to get to the end product.
Same goes for the lead in such developments, when you have 3 or 4 countries that are competing on what is developed from whom and when, it gets too complicated.
Apart from that, the Tiger however was used pretty effectively in Libya or Afghanistan from the French forces and their combination of the Tiger, Gazelle, Puma and NH90s seem to work pretty well.