The Tiger & EC725 Combat Helo in Action

The Eurocopter Tiger is a four-bladed, twin-engined attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Eurocopter, the successor company to Aérospatiale's and Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG's respective helicopter divisions, who designate it as the EC 665. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. Development of the Tiger had started during the Cold War, it was initially intended as an anti tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe. Due to a prolonged development period during which the Soviet Union collapsed, France and Germany chose to proceed with the Tiger, developing it as a multirole attack helicopter instead, achieving operational readiness in 2008. The Tiger has the distinction of being the first all-composite helicopter developed in Europe; and incorporates other advanced features such as a glass cockpit, stealth technology and high agility in order to increase its survivability. Improved variants have also begun to enter service, outfitted with more powerful engines and compatible with a wider range of weapons. Since the type's introduction to service, Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali.