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The Stealthy Tiger Helicopter Is Sharpening Its Visibility Through a Major Upgrade

What is considered to be the European counterpart of the American AH-64 Apache is gearing up for a major upgrading program, in which Safran will play an important part as the provider of the military helicopter’s new and improved “sight.”
The Tiger is currently operated by the French, Spanish, German, and Australian armies 6 photos
Photo: Safran
Tiger HelicopterStrix Optronics SystemTiger HelicopterTiger HelicopterTiger Helicopter Upgrade Program
It’s been decades since the Tiger project, supported by the French and German governments, was launched. The Tiger prototype conducted its first flight in 1991, but it started operating within the light aviation division of the French army in 2007. With 180 Tiger helicopters currently operated by four armies (those of France, Germany, Spain, and Australia), it was time for a complex revamping, technically known as a “mid-life modernization.”

As part of the larger upgrade program, Safran Electronics & Defense received an order from the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for its Euroflir 510 sights. The goal is to increase the performance of the French Tigers and eventually standardize all of them as HAD (support and destruction) – until now, HAD was one of the four standard production versions available.

The current Strix sight, also developed by Safran, which equipped the Tiger with a thermal imager, a daylight camera, and a laser designator, will be replaced by the new Euroflir 510, which is designed to offer optimal efficiency even when there’s poor visibility so that the Tiger can be equally performant during daytime and at night.

Some of this optronics system’s main features include a multi-spectral telescope with a long focal length, 12 sensors that don’t take too much of the helicopter’s volume, and four types of lasers. The Euroflir 510 also provides full-resolution digital video streams and what Safran claims to be a “high-performance” stabilization of the line of sight. As a result, the future Tiger crews will be able to operate more efficiently in unfavorable conditions and to conduct remote identification tasks of enemy threats easier.

The helicopters’ current optronics systems will gradually be replaced with the Euroflir 510 starting in 2027. This will add to the Tiger’s performance as a stealthy, light military helicopter (40% lighter than the AH-64 Apache), with remarkable range (it can fly over 497 miles/800 km at almost 196 mph/315 kph).
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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