Airbus has been awarded a five-year extension of the TLS (through-life support) contract from the Australian Department of Defense to support the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) Tiger, which is owned by the Australian Army.
The TLS extension, which covers the ARH program up to 2025, includes:
- Extended maintenance of aircraft and their components;
- Operational maintenance of helicopters for training purposes;
- Training of crew and technical personnel, including maintenance of training devices;
- Design services, including the incorporation of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) equipment
- Development and testing of systems and software;
- Full support of parts, including maintenance (MRO - Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), purchase, storage and distribution;
- Technical publications, fleet maintenance and management policies.
The ARH Tiger two-seat combat helicopter is a key asset for the Australian military. Currently, the fleet of 22 ARH Tigers has flown over 30.000 flight hours on day and night surveillance and combat support missions. Globally, 181 Tigers have been delivered to Australia, France, Germany and Spain, for a total of over 115.000 flight hours to date. First deployed in Afghanistan by the French army in 2009, the Tiger continues to demonstrate its essential role in military operations theaters as a highly versatile, stealthy and maneuverable attack helicopter.
