FLUG REVUE October 2004. Eurocopter Tiger ready for service

EUROCOPTER TIGER TRAINING STARTS

By F. andP. NOTRE/KS

By Finally things are happening! At the Franco-German combat helicopter training centre in Le Luc, near Toulon, which was officially opened back on 1 July 2003, training of Tiger crew for the French and German army aviation forces is set to commence in October.

Four of the flying instructors come from Germany. They completed their 10-week training course at the Eurocopter plant in Donauwörth on 5 August. The syllabus included extensive technical instruction and practice at emergency procedures and night flights. Technical support for the training programme Eurocopter Tiger (UHT)

was provided by staff from Eurocopter, who will also be going to southern France for two years to provide local support to the Bundeswehr for the entry into service of this complex helicopter.

Meanwhile in France, preparations for the introduction of the “Tigre” have been in full swing over the last few weeks and months. One important aspect of the programme was a 17-week long technical and operational evaluation of the new attack helicopter carried out by the airmobile group of the technical service of ALAT (GAMSTAT) in Valance.

In the course of the evaluation, seven pilots flew around 120 hours, about one-third of which was at night, on pre-production helicopter PS1. The experienced crews had between 20 and 50 flying hours on the Tiger. They were supposed to verify the performance of the helicopter and test its interoperability with other ALAT systems. During the tactical test, the main focus was to review the workload during simulated combat missions. This experience then formed the basis for the operational procedures to be adopted by the combat helicopter regiment (Régiment d´Hélicoptères de Combat, RHC).

Altogether, the evaluation entailed 17 modules each of about one week's duration. These included use of the extremely accurate, flexible 30 mm cannon (820 rounds) and releasing various rockets (430 units). Two other modules were concerned with checking out the radio systems (VHF/FM, UHF, Have Quick/SATURN), the Eurogrid digital map system and other navigation equipment in a realistic scenario.

The tactical tests were carried out together with 5 RHC from Pau, which currently still flies the upgraded Gazelle, but will be the first unit to be equipped with the Tiger. According to ALAT, the trials confirmed the high survivability of the Tiger, thanks to its low infrared and radar signatures.

In addition to the flight tests, the evaluation also examined logistics and maintenance effort. This included dismantling the rotor and gearbox and replacing avionics equipment. The operating instructions for the Tiger will only be supplied in electronic form – a significant departure from previous practice as far as the technicians of ALAT and the German army aviation forces are concerned. The maintenance personnel are already undergoing training in Fassberg.

Its Tiger work is only part of the remit of GAMSTAT, which has been based in Valence since 1967 and maintains two groups of experts on combat helicopters, (HA, Équipe de marque Hélicoptère d´Attaque) and transport helicopters (HTT, Équipe de marque Hélicoptère de Transport Tactique).

The test centre was also involved in testing the long-range PARS 3 LR anti-tank weapon. As EADS/LFK announced in the middle of August, the development work for the main armament of the German and Spanish Tigers is now complete. The programme office has apparently formally approved the PARS 3 LR launcher and sight.

The Franco-German school as a model

“A large proportion of missions take place at night”

Colonel Alain Salendre, Commander of EFA in Le Luc, explains the plans for the joint training of Tiger crews.

FLUG REVUE: What is EFA's role?

Colonel Salendre: We are training the Tiger commanders, patrol leaders, instructors and acceptance pilots for both countries. We will also be involved in future field trials aimed at developing new operational concepts. Naturally, we are also an “integration laboratory” for the two army aviation forces. Finally, the school will help to build close relations between the two countries and merge the two cultures. Quite apart from that, we hope to play our part in marketing the Tiger around the world.

FLUG REVUE: The decision to train Tiger crew from both countries together was taken in 1997. Finally things are moving after a number of delays. What are your plans for the next few years?

Colonel Salendre: By the end of 2005, we hope to have eight French (HAP) and 14 German (UHT) combat support helicopters here. By 2007 both sides will have 14 helicopters. Then on top of that, there are 11 full-mission simulators, eight cockpit procedure trainers and three classrooms each providing computer-aided training for 12 students.

FLUG REVUE: The Tiger will be deployed in a number of roles. How will this be handled during the training?

Colonel Salendre: In the long-term we plan to train the crew from the start to handle several roles, and our extremely advanced simulators should be a great help here. But to start with, the French HAP crew will be trained for close air support and learn how to defend themselves against threats from the air. You have to remember that they need to digest the change of layout from the two seats next to each other that they are used to, to the tandem cockpit. Again, the work distribution is quite different from on the Gazelle. The helicopter commanders will now concentrate on the weapons system and will no longer be responsible for the safe conduct of the flight.

FLUG REVUE: How long will the training at EFA last?

Colonel Salendre: It takes around 10 months to train a pilot so that he can be deployed as a patrol leader. The pilot training alone entails 370 hours over a 19 week period. This is made up of 50 hours of theory, 100 hours of computer-aided training, 80 hours in the procedure trainer and 90 hours on the mission simulator. The actual flying time on the Tiger is 50 hours, and just under a third of this is at night.

FLUG REVUE: What are the selection criteria for a Tiger pilot?

Colonel Salendre: First of all, we only select experienced ALAT crew who, in the case of a helicopter commander, have to have 1,000 flying hours under their belt plus experience of IFR and night vision goggles. They must also have completed a foreign tour. We are also considering the possibility of taking pilots with 135 flying hours fresh from ab initio training from 2008.

FLUG REVUE: What is the Tiger operational concept?

Colonel Salendre: In the future, most missions will take place by night so as to reduce vulnerability. The helicopters might also fly interception missions in cooperation with the AWACS. We are confident that the Tiger could also hold its own in “street combat”, as has recently often been necessary in Iraq. Compared with the Apache, it is very agile, even better than a Gazelle or a BO 105.

From page 58 of FLUG REVUE 10/2004

Last updated 13 September 2004

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