The Chief of Staff of the Army, Pierre Schill, has announced the deployment of four Tigre helicopters from Alat (the light aviation of the Army) in the Gulf. They will strengthen the six Rafale of the Air Force already on site, in support of those already present from the 1/7 Provence squadron. The helicopters provide an additional option in the fight against Iranian drones.
The Tigre is equipped with a 30mm cannon, with a firing rate of up to 720 rounds per minute, with a range of about 2,500 meters. In an interview with Le Point, Pierre Schill also mentioned the “integration of laser rockets on the Tigre, even though the goal is to use its very powerful cannon”. He added that “we are experimenting with interceptor drones on site.”
80% of composite materials Entered into service in 2005, the Tigre is a Franco-German combat helicopter, designed by Airbus Helicopters, capable of day and night combat against slow ground or air targets (helicopters, slow airplanes, drones). It performs protection and destruction support missions. Depending on the versions, it also carries four Mistral air-to-air missiles with a range of 6 km, and Hellfire anti-tank missiles, intended to be replaced by the Akeron long-range missile from MBDA, with a minimum range of 8 km.
Capable of flying at over 250 km/h at full load, the Tigre has an autonomy that can vary from 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the chosen configuration. Made up of 80% composite materials (Kevlar, carbon fiber), the helicopter offers excellent maneuverability, allowing it to perform loops, move agilely through complex theaters of operations such as mountains, and move backward at a speed of 70 km/h.
Its deployment in the Middle East, to protect Gulf countries threatened by Iranian Shahed drones, is also intended to use cheaper options than the Mica missiles fired by the Rafale, costing between 600,000 and 700,000 euros each.
