The federal government has decided not to participate in the Tiger MKIII program and to phase out the attack helicopter in 2038. This emerges from a report by the German Press Agency.
A decision that has been in the air for months now seems to have been made. The fact that the federal government would ultimately speak out against the continued use of the Tiger has been in the offing for some time. No one from the Bundeswehr has publicly declared their allegiance to the Tiger, and there are apparently considerable doubts within the troops as to whether the concept of a combat helicopter that flies into an area defended by enemy forces still has a future in the long term (ES&T reported).
In addition, in April, the Federal Government responded to a small question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag that it was not assumed that the possible upgrade of the German Tiger combat helicopters to the mid-life upgrade Mark III would have a significant impact on the operational readiness of the fleet would improve. In the answer, the federal government had written that the decision had not yet been made. The document also revealed that the Tiger's anti-tank capability was limited, particularly due to a lack of ammunition (ES&T reported).
Lack of operational readiness in the tiger
The Bundeswehr currently has 51 Tiger attack helicopters whose planned end of service life is set for 2038. To operate beyond that point, the federal government would have had to join the Mark III mid-life upgrade program. As part of this program, the Spanish and French plan to upgrade their Tigers.
However, the Bundeswehr has had significant problems with the system since the combat helicopter was introduced. Satisfactory availability could never be achieved. In May of last year, then Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that only nine of the 51 helicopters were operational at the time.
In the last report published by the Ministry of Defense on the material operational readiness of the Bundeswehr from 2021, it says about the Tiger: "The operational readiness of the KH TIGER continued to be at an unsatisfactory level in the reporting period. The backlog of main inspections for a large number of aircraft due to a lack of docking capacity continues to affect the operational readiness of this system. The measures introduced to reduce the inspection backlog will not take effect until the end of 2023 at the earliest. However, the full elimination of the traffic jam is not expected before the end of 2026. […] The aim is to achieve a significant increase in the material operational readiness of the KH TIGER in annual steps up to 2026.”
update: A spokesman for Airbus Helicopters, the manufacturer of the Tiger, said when asked that they had taken note of the decision. However, he emphasized that a special integrated list of actions between the customer and Airbus for the sustainable improvement of fleet availability has existed for two years and that Airbus is also fulfilling it. “Furthermore, we are committed to a further continuous increase in availability and concrete measures have been taken to achieve this. We would welcome discussions about the measures to be taken that are necessary for optimal use of the helicopter during its continued service with the Bundeswehr," the spokesman continued.
Light attack helicopter
However, the Federal Government has made a commitment to NATO to provide 48 combat helicopters by the beginning of 2032. In order to compensate for the foreseeable capability deficits of the Tiger fleet and to relieve them, the federal government is examining the introduction of a light attack helicopter.
The currently most likely option for such a marketable light combat helicopter is theAirbus Helicopters H145M. This type has already been introduced in the Bundeswehr as a light multi-purpose helicopter (H145M LUH SOF) and is mainly used by the special forces.
The federal government is aiming to have the procurement of light attack helicopters approved by Parliament this year.
Editorial staff / oh
Related topics
Federal government: Tiger Mark III upgrade does not lead to increased operational readiness delivered last Tiger New anti-tank guided missiles for the Tiger attack helicopter Tiger attack helicopter – decision made to upgrade? Replacement for the ARH Tiger in Australia Individual plan 14 for the 2022 budget discussed in the budget committee Tiger Attack Helicopter - Simulator modernization completed Bundeswehr procures new 70mm rockets for Tiger attack helicopters Federal government keeps information on ammunition stocks secret