German Tiger helicopter gunship
The German Army's Tiger helicopter gunship is a attack helicopter with good performance, but it has been criticized due to many failures, high costs, poor adaptability and other problems. Recently, the German military finally made up its mind to replace it with a light multi-purpose helicopter, which is the Airbus H145M. What is the profound meaning of this seemingly incredible approach, and what is the outstanding point of H145M? Today we will analyze this topic.
The Tiger helicopter gunship is a fourth-generation attack helicopter produced by Eurocopter, which is equipped with France, Spain, Australia and other countries in addition to Germany. Its biggest highlight is that the fuselage is made of 80% reinforced composite materials, which is able to withstand the attack of 23mm shells, and its rotors can also withstand a certain degree of destruction and twisting. However, the shortcomings of this helicopter are also obvious, first of all, its reliability is poor, of the 51 Tigers of the German Army, only 9 are in service, the rest are under repair. The second is that it has a high cost, due to its low production and the high price of parts, resulting in its high cost of use and maintenance. Again it is poorly adapted, it cannot fly properly in hot or cold environments, and it cannot maintain maneuverability at high altitudes. Finally, its striking capability is weak, and its on-board armament is only 30mm cannons, rockets, and anti-tank missiles, which cannot deal with various targets on the modern battlefield.
H145M light helicopter
To solve these problems, the German military decided to replace the Tiger with a light multi-purpose helicopter, which was the Airbus H145M. Some weapons experts believe that this is a wise choice, because although the H145M is not a professional gunship, it has many advantages that the Tiger does not have.
H145M
The first is its high reliability, which uses advanced Arriel 2E engines and tailless rotors to be able to fly stably in a variety of harsh environments. The second is that its cost is very low, it is a full-fledged civil helicopter that has been widely used in many countries, the price and supply of parts are sufficient, and its repair and maintenance are simple. Again, it is very adaptable, it can fly in hot or cold areas, it can also maintain maneuverability at high altitudes, and it has low flight noise, which allows it to use the terrain for stealth and raiding. Finally, it is equipped with Airbus's H Force weapon system, which can carry 20mm cannons, 12.7mm large-caliber machine guns, 68mm and 70mm rockets, FZ series laser-guided rockets, and air-to-surface missiles represented by spikes, which can deal with tanks, armored vehicles, buildings, personnel and other targets.
H145M
H145M also has a special highlight, that is, it can use the Spike ER air-to-surface anti-tank missile developed by the Israeli Rafael company, which is a multi-purpose, multi-platform, multi-domain optoelectronic guided missile system, which can be launched outside the first-level anti-aircraft fire defense zone to carry out precise strikes on tank armored targets. The missile is produced and sold in Europe by German defense companies, which are also the main users of the missile. The introduction of this missile will make the H145M a light helicopter gunship with powerful anti-tank capabilities, which can effectively fight enemy armored forces.
H145M light gunship
In addition to attack capabilities, H145M also has a very good defense capability, it has added light bulletproof armor to the internal fuel tank, fuselage frame and other parts, the large area of glass in the cockpit has been upgraded to transparent bulletproof glass, and the electronic countermeasure system has also been enhanced, and the radar tracking warning system has been installed, the missile attack system, and the national infrared jamming transmitter have been installed. These equipment allows the H145M to have sufficient self-protection ability in the face of enemy fire.
In summary, the H145M is a very good light multi-purpose helicopter, which can not only perform attack missions, but also perform transportation, rescue, reconnaissance and other tasks, and is a true all-round helicopter. Although there is a big gap between it and the Tiger gunship in terms of performance, it can better adapt to the needs of modern warfare and provide more flexible and efficient air support for the German Army. The replacement of the Tiger by the German Army with the H145M is the right decision and a far-sighted one, which will make the German Army's air power more powerful and advanced.