Attack
Benefitting from the company’s expertise in integrating weapons systems and tailoring its rotorcraft to operators’ requirements, Airbus’ helicopters are designed from the start as military systems for attack missions, with redundancy and durability for battlefield conditions.
Airbus’ product range is configurable for attack missions, ranging from the two-metric-tonne category H125 to the heavy-duty Tiger.
Light single-engine helicopters
The H125M's spacious interior, with no separation between the cockpit and the cabin, facilitates communications between crew members, and offers an excellent field of view – even from behind.
The most capable armed rotorcraft in the two-metric-tonne class is Airbus’ single-engine H125M. Equipped with Turbomeca’s Arriel 2D engine and a dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system, the H125M has a small visual silhouette, reduced radar signature and high agility in combat manoeuvring.
It can be fitted with a podded 12.7-mm machine gun, a 20-mm cannon pod, 70-mm rockets and air-to-ground guided missiles. Side-mounted weaponry are a 7.62-mm machine gun and installed sniper rifle. Growth potential is available for guided rockets and air-to-air missiles.
The H125M's spacious interior, with no separation between the cockpit and the cabin, facilitates communications between crew members, and offers an excellent field of view – even from behind.
Light twin-engine helicopters
In the three-tonne category, the twin-engine H135M (Turbomeca) and H135M (Pratt & Whitney Canada) are the enhanced military versions of Airbus’ H135, with improved high and hot performance, increased maximum takeoff weight, enlarged flight envelope and extended range.
Both utilise Airbus’ four-blade fibre-reinforced composite bearingless main rotor and signature Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor that enhance their flight characteristics and increase survivability against ground fire, while also reducing vibration and noise levels.
Heavy helicopters
As a true multi-role platform, the H225M enables military forces to deploy wherever and whenever needed.
The H225M has been deployed in combat service worldwide, including deployments in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali. An evolution of Airbus’ proven Cougar/Super Puma military rotorcraft, the H225M is the latest version of this 11-tonne class helicopter family.
Armament for the H225M includes two side-mounted 180-round 20-mm gun pods or two 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers, and 7.62 mm machine guns in forward cabin windows. The Sirina planning system enables missions to be prepared quickly and precisely according to the helicopter’s performance capability.
Specialised helicopters
Airbus’ Tiger is a true multi-role attack rotorcraft whose mission applications include armed scout, anti-tank, and armed support duties. Designed for operations in the digital battlefield, the Tiger combines the attributes of low detectability with its flat and narrow silhouette; low radar profile and infrared signatures; low vulnerability through system redundancy; flight agility with its rigid rotor system; as well as high manoeuvrability, agility and survivability.
Qualified armament includes the Nexter 30M781 30-mm turret-mounted gun, interchangeable 68 mm and 70 mm unguided rockets (with growth potential for laser-guided rockets), as well as air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles.
The Tiger is combat-proven during operational deployments in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya and Mali.
Infographics
Photos and videos
The French Armed Forces recently achieved an in-flight refueling of an H225M Caracal by a C130 Hercules over the Sahel desert this October. This is the first in-flight refueling of an H225M while in combat and promises to open new possibilities in terms of how the helicopter can be used in overseas conflict situations.
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