Airforces - Typhoon school

pain has played a leading role in the

development of the Tigre HAD variant

• in Spanish, Helicóptero de Ataque y
  Destrucción (attack and destruction helicopter).
  When the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército
  de Tierra (FAMET, Army Airmobile Forces)
  reviewed options for a new combat helicopter
  it determined that the basic EC665 Tigre would
  require modifications for Spanish service.
  When fully loaded, the helicopter lacked
  power for operations in the Iberian peninsula’s
  harsh conditions and heat, especially in
  southern Spain. Initially, it seemed the

FAMET preferred the rival AH-64 Apache.

When evaluating the Tigre, the FAMET

looked at the two versions then available: the

German UHT (Unterstützungshubschrauber

Tiger, support helicopter Tiger) and the

French HAP (Hélicoptère d’Appui Protection,

attack and protection helicopter). The highly

specialised UHT was quickly dismissed as

it didn’t meet Spanish needs and expected

operational doctrine, which is much closer to

the French airmobile brigade concept than

the German Army’s ‘air mechanisation’.

In the event, the final purchase decision was

delayed, giving Eurocopter

(now Airbus Helicopters) time to

develop a significantly improved

version with new engines for

a performance boost over the initial Tigre

HAP (in Spanish, Helicóptero de Ataque y

Protección). These changes, combined with

other economic and political factors, led to

Spain selecting the Tigre in July 2003.

Tigre commander

Lt Col José Manuel Galvañ Bonmatí,

commanding officer of FAMET’s Batallón de

Helicópteros de Ataque I (BHELA I, Attack

Helicopter Battalion 1) elaborated on the Tigre

programme: “The Tigre was acquired following

a series of comparative studies between

several helicopters, with an order for 18 HAD

and six HAP versions, and the ultimate goal of

unifying the fleet to HAD standard.” However,

plans to upgrade the six HAPs have now been

dropped because of budgetary considerations.

“The first HAP, ET-701, was delivered in

France in December 2005 and followed in

March 2006 by the second, ET-702. Both

Iberia’s big cats

Salvador Mafé Huertas reviews the progress of the Tigre attack

helicopter in Spanish Army service and considers the prospects

for the advanced HAD variant.

S

Badges and patches of BHELA I, from left to right: BHELA I insignia, 1st Company, 2nd Company, pilot’s

patch, Afghan deployment patch.

Badges and patches

Spanish Army Tigre

94 // APRIL 2018 #361 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com