The European EC665 Tigre attack helicopter loses one of its four operators

Bad news for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter's major European rival: the Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigre.

The display of a Spanish Army Tiger attack helicopter in Slovakia
The BHELA I and the EC-665 Tiger HAD-E attack helicopters of the Spanish Army

On September 23, the Australian Department of Defence announced the upcoming end of operations for its EC665 Tigre helicopters, flown by the Australian Army's 1st Aviation Regiment—part of the 16th Aviation Brigade and based at Robertson Barracks, located at RAAF Base Townsville in Queensland.

Australia selected the EC665 Tigre (known in the country by its English name, "Tiger") on December 21, 2001, to replace its aging Bell OH-58A Kiowas and Bell UH-1H Bushrangers—the nickname given to the armed version of the Huey in Australia. The version of the Tiger chosen by Australia was the ARH, a variant of the French Tiger HAP specialized for armed reconnaissance, featuring upgraded engines and the capability to fire Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles. The order was for 22 helicopters, with the initial four manufactured in Europe and the remaining 18 assembled in Brisbane, Australia, by Australian Aerospace, a local subsidiary of Eurocopter.

The first two Tiger ARH helicopters were delivered to the Australian Army on December 15, 2004. Problems soon arose, much like those the Australian Army had already experienced with its NH90s. Following delays in achieving initial operational capability for the Australian Tigers—caused by development setbacks that impacted the rollout of their simulators—the Australian government decided to suspend payments for the helicopters in 2007, not resuming them until the following year. The helicopters did not reach final operational capability until April 2016, 12 years after the arrival of the first two units.

In December 2012, Australian Tiger pilots staged an unusual mutiny, refusing to continue flying these helicopters following three incidents involving toxic fumes in the cockpit. It was not a new problem: as early as 2007, the Australian Tigers had recorded 24 such incidents, and flights for the 22 helicopters were suspended between March and July 2012 due to these issues.

After such a turbulent history, in January 2021, the Australian government announced the purchase of 29 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. In December 2025, a proposal to transfer its Tigers to Ukraine was announced. The first AH-64Es arrived in Australia in October 2025. Ultimately, the retirement of the Australian Tigers has been brought forward by a year, as it was originally scheduled for 2027.

The withdrawal of the Australian Tigers leaves this model with only three operators: Germany, Spain, and France—three countries that are part of the Airbus consortium, the aircraft's manufacturer. Meanwhile, the AH-64 Apache already has 19 operators, including four European countries: Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

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Photos: Australian Army / ustralian Government Department of Defence.