Tiger MKIII Enhancement: MBDA and Airbus Join Forces for Mistral and MHT Integration
MBDA and Airbus Helicopters have been jointly contracted for the incorporation of the Mistral 3 missile on the French-Spanish Tiger MkIII attack helicopter, along with the MHT missile for the French Tiger MkIII. The agreements were finalized by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation), representing the French and Spanish procurement authorities, namely the DGA (Direction générale de l’armement) and the DGAM (Dirección General de Armamento y Material) on Wednesday, 2 March 2022.
The existing French and Spanish Tiger helicopters are equipped with Mistral air defense capabilities. Advancements in the newer Tiger MkIII will enable the integration of the Mistral 3 variant launched in 2019, which boasts enhanced functions.
The MHT (Missile Haut de Trame – High Tier Missile) is under development by MDBA for the French Army’s Future Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile (Missile Air-Surface Tactique Futur – MAST-F) initiative, serving as the primary air-to-ground weaponry for the French Tiger MkIII helicopters, as part of the Military Programming Act (Loi de programmation militaire) 2019-2025.
Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, stated: “Collaboration is fundamental to MBDA’s ethos, so we are delighted to be partnering closely with Airbus Helicopters as co-contractors to integrate the enhancement of Mistral 3 and the new MHT on the Tiger MkIII. We are also eager to expand MBDA’s involvement in European initiatives managed by OCCAR. Developed with DGA’s support, under the terms of an OCCAR agreement, MHT integrates new technologies with those from our field-tested MMP missile. This approach minimizes development risks while creating a versatile weapon system unmatched in today’s tactical ground combat arsenal.”
The MHT missile possesses a range of up to 10 kilometers, contingent on operational circumstances (up to 15 kilometers from a drone), and its multi-effect warhead can engage a diverse array of targets, from contemporary battle tanks to fortified combat infrastructure. The MHT operates effectively both day and night, including in beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) mode. A bi-directional datalink transmits high-resolution imagery from the missile’s TV/infrared/SAL optronic seeker back to the operator, enabling the crew of a Tiger MkIII to determine the missile’s impact location or to identify a new target mid-flight, thus making the weapon adaptable for dynamic battlefield scenarios. The radio-frequency data link grants the platform complete maneuverability during the missile’s course.
The modular design of the MHT facilitates seamless integration onto various land and air combat platforms aside from the Tiger MkIII. Weighing 20% less than its counterparts, the MHT delivers notable weight savings for the Tiger MkIII, allowing it to carry up to twelve missiles in combat configuration. This reduction in weight enhances the Tiger’s fuel capacity and combat endurance, significantly increasing operational time before needing to refuel.
Mistral 3 is an exceptionally reliable fire-and-forget air defense missile, with an effective range of up to 6.5 kilometers. Furnished with an infrared imaging seeker and sophisticated image processing capabilities, Mistral ensures outstanding countermeasure resilience and can target low thermal signature objects such as UAVs, turbojet missile systems, and fast boats at extended ranges, in addition to conventional combat aircraft and helicopters.
