Airbus Helicopters Responds to Australia's RFI for Project LAND4503

Airbus has responded to the Commonwealth of Australia’s Request for Information for the Project LAND4503 Armed Reconnaissance Capability.

The RFI is looking for the best solutions for the army’s future armed reconnaissance helicopter needs.

Airbus is the manufacturer of the tandem seat Tiger helicopters introduced to the Australian Army in 2004. Eighteen of the 22 units were assembled at the Airbus site in Brisbane, Australia.

Airbus says that its proposal will save the Australian Army and taxpayer more than AUD3 billion against the expected budget for LAND4503.

“Tiger is an extremely agile, effective, and digitally connected armed reconnaissance helicopter,” said Andrew Mathewson, Airbus Australia Pacific Managing Director. “Since delivery, the Australian Tiger has matured into a fully operational army capability, and is integrated into the combined arms team. It continues to prove itself as an adaptable platform, and is now a key element of Australia’s amphibious capabilities on-board the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks.”

The Tiger fleet has proven itself in diverse and extreme environments around the world with 120,000 flights hours logged by international operators, including more than 30,000 in Australia.

It has provided support to counter insurgency operations in Mali, security operations in Afghanistan, and amphibious strike in Libya, operating reliably in the harsh extremes of heat and cold of the desert and in the maritime domain.

Globally, 181 Tigers have been delivered to Australia, France, Germany and Spain.

First deployed by the French Army in Afghanistan in 2009, Tiger continues to demonstrate its essential role in theatres of operation as a highly versatile, stealthy, and manoeuvrable attack helicopter.

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