Inside the Tiger: Thales’ Vision Takes Flight

As part of the Tiger Mark III initiative, the Tiger assault helicopter is set to undergo a significant mid-life enhancement aimed at prolonging its operational efficiency beyond 2040.

Incorporating Thales’s state-of-the-art technologies, the updated Mark III variant will be adept at executing the most challenging combat operations within a connected, collaborative framework, empowering the French and Spanish military forces to attain operational dominance in high-intensity confrontations.

This substantial French-Spanish initiative will modernize a total of 60 Tiger helicopters – 42 operated by the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) and 18 utilized by the Spanish Army Airmobile Force (FAMET) – to the Mark III specification.

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), representing the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) for France and the Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) for Spain, has entrusted Airbus Helicopters with the development contract for the new Tiger assault helicopter standard. The Thales technologies integrated within the platform will furnish French and Spanish forces with cutting-edge, high-performance connected systems.

The Tiger assault helicopter currently possesses the capability to conduct reconnaissance operations, support ground forces, and engage ground targets, day or night, under all weather conditions. This upgrade will introduce new detection, recognition and identification (DRI) capabilities to further enhance the helicopter’s strike potential. Additionally, it will deliver improved mission support and enable Tiger crews to function seamlessly in the collaborative engagement scenarios of the future. Linking to the French Army’s Scorpion system and UAV platforms, the Tiger Mark III will feature significantly augmented communication, mission coordination, and self-defense capabilities.

This enhancement leverages operational insights gathered from French personnel stationed in Afghanistan and Libya, as well as their encounters with armed militant groups in the Sahel region. The advanced technologies onboard the Tiger will enable armed forces to consistently outpace adversaries, even in high-stakes conflicts, ensuring the helicopter’s effectiveness extends past 2040.

Innovations from Thales’s technical and industrial teams encompass an upgrade of the head-up display avionics. The new helmet-mounted TopOwl Digital Display integrates advanced technologies that will empower crews to navigate complex flight scenarios while optimizing the utilization of the helicopter’s onboard sensors and armaments. The FlytX avionics suite will connect with a tactical battlefield data management platform, greatly enhancing pilot interaction with cockpit systems and overall situational awareness, allowing aircrews to concentrate on critical mission objectives. For crew safety, there will be a comprehensive upgrade featuring a new self-protection system centered around the Thales CATS-150.

At the armament level, the Laser Guided Rocket System will satisfy the operational requirements of air combatants. During aerial operations, the next-gen radio communication system (CONTACT) will facilitate secure integration with the Army’s SCORPION network and communications with other airspace users. It will also be outfitted with two Micro-TMA data link terminals: one for guiding the new MHT missiles and the other providing a video feed with UAVs, paving the way for collaborative deployments that will be the foundation of aerial combat systems in the next two decades. Lastly, the Tiger Mark III will also feature a dual-constellation (GPS and Galileo) satellite navigation setup.

The Tiger Mark III will operate alongside mission helicopters, such as the Caiman and Caracal, as well as the Guépard joint light helicopter slated for delivery in 2027 (HIL program).

“The upcoming introduction of the Tiger Mark III, ready for collaborative engagements and offering helicopter crews enhanced offensive abilities, will allow French and Spanish forces to sustain strategic supremacy in combat and air support missions conducted by army aviation units. As a long-time partner in Europe’s premier combat helicopter program, Thales delivers a cohesive array of advanced, scalable avionics equipment that empowers the Tiger assault helicopter to tackle the challenges ahead.” – Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President Avionics, Thales.