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France Airbus Helicopters
Tiger HAD
A Franco-German twin-engine attack helicopter jointly developed by France and Germany and built by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter). The HAD (Helicoptere d'Appui Destruction) variant adds anti-armor and combat-support armament for French Army operations, including deployments in Africa and Ukraine-support training.
In service since 2009 · 4 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
315
km/h
800
km range
4,000
m ceiling
1,500
kg payload
💲 ≈ $44,000,000 — Approximate program unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Established · 4 operators
In service since 2009. Status: active · ~180 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$110M – $154M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 315 km/h Stronger than 81% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 269 km/h Stronger than 74% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 800 km Stronger than 66% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 4,000 m Stronger than 15% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 11 m/s Stronger than 36% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 30 mm GIAT AM-30781 cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 1,500 kg Stronger than 58% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Armored crew capsule protected against 23 mm rounds
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- MILDS missile warning system, chaff, flares, laser warning receivers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 14.08 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 3.83 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 3,060 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 6,100 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x MTR390 turboshaft, 1303 hp each
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,303 hp Stronger than 31% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Strix roof-mounted sighting system, helmet-mounted display
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $44,000,000 Stronger than 27% of helicopters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 180 Stronger than 46% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 4 Stronger than 58% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Airbus Helicopters and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
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Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD has a maximum speed of 315 km/h.
What is the range of the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD has a maximum range of 800 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD can carry up to 1,500 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD weigh? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD has a combat weight of 6,100 kg.
How many crew does the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD require? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD's primary weapon is the 30 mm GIAT AM-30781 cannon.
What engine does the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD use? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD is powered by the 2x MTR390 turboshaft, 1303 hp each.
What is the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD used for? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD is a helicopter typically used for close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD is operated by 4 countries.
How much does the Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD cost? +
The Airbus Helicopters Tiger HAD has an approximate unit cost of 44,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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