Teluk Sepanggar Naval Base To Get Advanced Air Defence System - Hishammuddin

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) base in Teluk Sepanggar here will be equipped with an advanced air defence system to combat future threats and challenges.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the move was in line with rapid technological developments and the needs of TLDM to handle the current scenario in South China Sea and eastern Sabah waters.

"In this context, it is aimed at ensuring our base is safe. Whatever the defence system, it will be determined later," he told reporters after visiting and inspecting the development of the Kota Kinabalu TLDM base in Teluk Sepanggar here, today.

He said the plan was one of the efforts to upgrade the base comprehensively against any threats, especially in the waters of the state.

However, he said any upgrade and additional national defence assets would depend on the country's economic capability, political situation and potential threats.

Apart from that, Hishammuddin said the Scorpene submarine refit infrastructure under construction at the base was 12 per cent completed and according to schedule.

He said the infrastructure, encompassing the construction of three main workshops for the maintenance of submarine equipment and storage, was expected to reduce the cost of maintenance of the country's two submarines, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Razak.

"There will be periodic maintenance to ensure the submarines operate to the maximum duration of 35 years, which will be carried out by the government with the cooperation of Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation Sdn Bhd," he said.

The Kota Kinabalu TLDM base, built in 2001 comprises the Naval Region II headquarters and the submarine base headquarters and enjoys close cooperation with Brunei and the Philippines through annual exercises.

The base also serves a port of call for for several foreign ships from the United States, Australia, Brunei, France, Japan, Singapore and India.

Hishamuddin today concluded his three-day working visit to Sabah to look into the preparedness of security forces especially in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).

-- BERNAMA

No: CR-016-15
January 26, 2015

CONTRACTS

ARMY

Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona was awarded a $295,866,116 firm-fixed-price foreign military sales (Indonesia) contract for eight AH64E Apache attack helicopters. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2018. One bid was solicited with one received. Fiscal 2010 other procurement funds in the amount of $295,866,116 are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-15-C-0025).

Boeing awarded Indonesian Apache contract

By: Ellis Taylor Singapore
9 hours ago

The US government has formally awarded Boeing a contract to build eight AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Indonesia.

The Department of Defense says in a statement that the “firm-fixed-price” foreign military sales (FMS) contract is valued at $296 million. The helicopters will be built in Mesa, Arizona, and are expected to be completed by February 2018.

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel announced the sale of eight Apaches to Indonesia in August 2013. That announcement came nearly one year after a notification to Congress a year earlier of the proposed FMS sale.

At that time, the total deal was valued at $1.4 billion and included the sale of four APG-78 Longbow fire control radars, an armaments package including 120 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, plus a training and crew support package.

The helicopters are expected to be used by Indonesia’s military in counterpiracy and maritime awareness roles.

Indonesia's defence minister requests USD400m defence budget boost

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
26 January 2015
   
Indonesia's Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has requested IDR5.1 trillion (USD409 million) to boost the country's 2015 defence budget, according to media reports in Indonesia.

The request was tabled during a meeting between Ryacudu and the House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs and defence, which took place on 26 January. While the Ministry of Defence in Jakarta confirmed that the meeting took place, it did not confirm the budget request.

However, reports said Ryacudu has requested the additional funding to support military procurement activities and replace some of the Indonesian Armed Force's (TNI's) ageing equipment.

Should additional funding be secured by the TNI it would take Indonesia's defence budget to more than IDR100 trillion.

PM puts hurry up on defence budgets

6th Jan 2015

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pushing the military to more quickly draft its spending plans for the 2016 fiscal year and submit them within the month.

Air Force commander ACM Treetod Sonjance said the Defence Ministry, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Navy and the Royal Thai Air Force are expected to prepare their budgets by mid-January.

He said Gen Prayut, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), wants to see how the armed forces and other military units prioritise their spending.

The Royal Thai Air Force has no plan to procure new fighter jets in the next budget year, ACM Treetod said. It will focus on upgrades and maintenance instead.

Preliminary plans call for upgrades to the air force's fleet of F-5 jets at the Nakhon Sawan-based Wing 4 division. The aircraft have been in service for over 30 years.

A Defence Ministry source said the proposed defence spending is likely to be a little higher than the amount approved in 2015. It is estimated to be around 193 billion to 200 billion baht.

According to the source, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved a defence budget of 192 billion baht, about 550 million baht lower than the proposed 193.49 billion baht.

Of this amount, the Office of the Defence Permanent Secretary received 7.771 billion baht, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters 14.77 billion baht, the Royal Thai Army 95.48 billion baht, the Royal Thai Navy 37.52 billion baht, and the Royal Thai Air Force 35.7 billion baht.

Defence spending for the 2014 fiscal year was estimated at 184 billion baht.

According to the source, the navy is likely to propose the procurement of two to three submarines.

The navy has been vetting submarines from various countries including South Korea, China, Russia and France. South Korea's U-209 model is said to be the least expensive at 11 billion baht apiece.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has backed the submarine purchase in principle, saying he was ready to support the navy's plan to develop its capacity if there was enough money to go around.

The source said the army is likely to propose the procurement of helicopters for general use under a budget of 2.8 billion baht. About 30 UH-1H (Huey) helicopters will be decommissioned. The US-made UH-72 (Lakota) aircraft is said to be on the army's wish list.

The army also has a plan to purchase a transporter aircraft under a budget of 1.25 billion baht. Ukraine's Antonov-30 and Spain's CN-295 are said to be at the top of the list.
Meanwhile, ACM Treetod said an air force committee is working on choosing a new fleet of training aircraft to replace the L-39 model.

The air force has allocated 3.7 billion baht in the 2015 budget to procure a new fleet of training aircraft to replace the L-39 aircraft manufactured by the Czech Republic.

There are three contenders that meet the initial specifications: T-50 aircraft from South Korea, M-346 from Italy; and the Textron Airland Scorpion from the US. The South Korean aircraft is expected to come at the top of the list.

Odd couple in TNI-AD aviation corps... 2018 onwards.....one for precision strike, another for wholesale massacre with dual-30mm cannons and rockets

Malaysia Eyes Submarine Base Expansion Near South China Sea

The country is mulling an advanced air defense system to counter growing threats.

By Prashanth Parameswaran
January 28, 2015

On January 25, Malaysian defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced that Malaysia would look to equip its naval base close to the South China Sea with an air defense system.

Hishammuddin made the announcement during a visit to the base, known as the RMN Kota Kinabalu, as part of a three-day working trip to the country’s east to examine its military preparedness. He said that the base required an advanced air defense system to ensure its protection.

The need to enhance the base’s defenses is understandable. The RMN Kota Kinabalu is the only base with the facilities to host the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN’s) two prized Scorpene-class submarines. Malaysia’s naval capabilities have also been increasingly stretched. The country, which is surrounded by strategic sea lanes and is heavily dependent on seaborne trade, faces a range of challenges to secure its interests, as Hishammuddin himself pointed out, including the South China Sea disputes, the Islamic State and the security situation in Sabah.

While he was predictably silent on the specifics of those challenges, close observers know what they are. The 2013 invasion of Sabah by Filipino militants – known as the Lahad Datu incident – followed by a series of 2014 kidnappings involving Chinese nationals there, have revealed Malaysia’s vulnerability in the east. Meanwhile, rising incursions from China into Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea have exposed the country’s naval limitations. The threat of the Islamic state also looms large. Having any of these threats disrupt Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship year would be a disaster, particularly as it prepares to usher in the ASEAN Community with great fanfare.

While the move is clearly part of a broader effort to harden the country’s defenses against these threats, Hishammuddin was coy on specifics. He said more – including which systems might be used – would be forthcoming later. But when exactly is still not clear. That matters because it would determine where it fits within Malaysia’s spending plans over the next few years. Other issues also remain unresolved, including how much of a priority this is relative to other much-needed military upgrades which have previously been put off for various reasons.

More broadly, a key lingering question for Malaysia when such announcements are made – as it often is these days – will be whether it is able to actually follow through on it in the current political and economic environment. Hishammuddin himself said the kind of equipment to be purchased would be subject to the economy and political situation. Both of those are factors have made military modernization a challenge in Malaysia in recent years under Prime Minister Najib Razak.

At present, neither of those looks particularly good. Politically, growing dissatisfaction with the government, combined with a deep suspicion about corruption in military purchases, often makes justifying new equipment challenging. The two Scorpene submarines the base holds were themselves previously the subject of a scandal harking back to when Najib was defense minister. Economically, falling oil prices, a weakening currency, and devastating floods made Najib announce a much trimmer, revised budget earlier this month than the one he unveiled last October. Penny-pinching times may make new defense plans less palatable.

Of course, the government may be able to find ways (and room) to get systems that it truly needs. The little of Najib’s initial 2015 budget that was devoted to defense last year, for instance, still included plans to secure Malaysia’s east, including additional army battalions, upgrading runways, and sea basing. Hishammuddin announced more specifics on some of these measures during his trip as well. At the RMN Kota Kinabalu base, he also inspected the ongoing construction of three workshops for the maintenance of submarine equipment and storage, judging it to be 12 percent complete and according to schedule. Perhaps he will be back unveiling an actual advanced air defense system further down the line.

January 28, 2015 1:00 pm JST

Indonesia's defense spree

Swelling budget beckons global contractors

SADACHIKA WATANABE, Nikkei staff writer

JAKARTA -- Eyeing China's maritime presence, Indonesia is attempting to convert growing economic clout into greater military power. For the world's defense contractors, this means there is a competition to be waged and money to be made.

     The Indonesian military celebrated its 69th anniversary in October with some muscle flexing in Surabaya, the country's second-largest city. Soldiers marched through the streets and military equipment was put through its paces. The army showed off its latest acquisition: German-made Leopard 2 tanks.

     On the sidelines of the festivities, Joko Widodo, then the president-elect, met with incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and promised to continue efforts to bolster the country's armaments.

     A month later, in Jakarta, the Indo Defence 2014 military equipment expo attracted nearly 700 exhibitors from about 50 countries; more than 20,000 visitors attended.

     The Eurofighter consortium made its presence felt at the biennial event. It went so far as to put up advertising billboards in the city center, hoping to generate a buzz about its Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

     The consortium hopes to break the grip the U.S. and Russia hold on the Indonesian market. Since 2011, aircraft from those two countries have been equally represented in exhibition flights during Indonesia's independence day celebrations.

     "We want Indonesia to switch from U.S. and Russian fighter jets," a Eurofighter consortium public relations official said. "We will propose technology transfers and joint production to make it happen."

     Other European manufacturers were also on hand at Indo Defence. Airbus Helicopters announced during the show that Indonesia had ordered 11 of its AS565 MBe Panthers. Sweden's Saab unveiled a prototype unmanned surface vehicle called the Bonefish; a briefing by a Saab representative appeared to catch the interest of Gen. Moeldoko, commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces.

     Indo Defense featured hardware from Japanese contractors as well, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. With the Japanese government having eased restrictions on weapons exports last year, the manufacturers are hunting for orders. They are represented in Indonesia by a company called Nippon Denki Sangyo; NDS, in turn is majority owned by Garda Persada, an Indonesian maker of military and police gear.

     Hideki Iida, the president of NDS and an executive at the Indonesian parent, said the goal is to link the two nations' defense industries.

     This would seem to be an opportune time to do that, given Indonesia's uneasiness about its current capabilities.

Stretched thin

Indonesia consists of a massive number of islands spanning more than 5,000km. Its position on the eastern side of the Indian Ocean makes it an increasingly important waypoint for international trade of energy and goods.

     "The world's political and economic power is shifting from the West to the East," Widodo said while campaigning for the presidency. "And Indonesia is at the heart of it."

     Yet the Southeast Asian country's defenses lack the scope to cover its vast land and maritime territory. It has just two submarines.

     When AirAsia flight QZ8501 disappeared within Indonesia's jurisdiction late last year, Jakarta immediately asked neighboring countries to help with the search and rescue efforts. "We need foreign assistance because we don't have sufficient equipment," a high-ranking Indonesian official said.

     At 95 trillion rupiah ($7.61 billion), the country's 2015 defense budget is double the figure seen five years earlier. But the government is still playing catch-up: The amount equates to less than 1% of gross domestic product. Vietnam's ratio is slightly more than 2%, while Thailand's is around 1.5%.

     "We can triple our defense budget if we achieve 7% economic growth," Widodo said.

     If the government succeeds, foreign contractors stand to benefit, though Widodo also wants to nurture the domestic defense equipment industry. That could mean new opportunities for companies like PAL Indonesia, a state-run shipbuilder, which on Thursday announced that it had received a $90 million order to supply two 120-meter vessels to the Philippine Department of National Defense.

Brunei Confirms Transfer of Blackhawks to Malaysia

Marhalim Abas January 28, 2015 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: BRUNEI Defence Ministry has confirmed the transfer of its S-70A Blackhawk helicopter to Malaysia, in a statement released on its website today.

The statement did not say how many helicopters will be transferred but since Brunei operates four S-70A Blackhawk helicopters it is likely that the whole fleet will be involved in the transfer as reported by Malaysian Defence previously.

Among others the statement said that both countries had a long term collaboration and defence ties through various exchanges and training and involvement in foreign missions.

“The collaboration is expected to be enhanced with the planned transfer of the S-70A Blackhawk helicopter of the Royal Brunei Air Force to the Malaysian Armed Forces.”

“The helicopter is still in service with TUDB and it is expected to be transferred at the earliest in September when the new S-70i helicopters of TUDB are fully operational. The process of transfer will be discussed further by both parties.”

“The Defence Ministry is hopeful that the transfer of the helicopter will contribute in improving the capabilities of the Malaysian Armed Forced and the efforts of both countries to protect the peace and security of the region.”

The release:
KERJASAMA PERTAHANAN ANTARA NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM DAN MALAYSIA

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Rabu 28 Januari 2015 – Kementerian Pertahanan sukacita memaklumkan bahawa hubungan pertahanan antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Malaysia semakin bertambah erat terutama dengan adanya rundingan rapat antara kedua negara; pertukaran latihan dan latihan bersama ketenteraan; pertukaran maklumat; penyertaan kedua negara dalam operasi antarabangsa seperti United Nation Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) dan International Monitoring Team (IMT); dan sebagainya.

Kerjasama ini akan dipertingkatkan lagi dengan rancangan penyerahan Helikopter Blackhawk S-70A kepunyaan Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (TUDB) kepada Angkatan Tentera Malaysia.

Helikopter tersebut masih beroperasi dalam TUDB dan dijangka akan sedia untuk diserahkan seawalnya dalam bulan September apabila helikopter baru Blackhawk S-70i TUDB beroperasi sepenuhnya. Keterangan bagi penyerahan tersebut akan dibincangkan selanjutnya oleh kedua belah pihak.

Kementerian Pertahanan berharap penyerahan helikopter tersebut akan menyumbang kepada peningkatan keupayaan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia dan usaha kedua negara untuk menjaga keamanan dan keselamatan serantau.

Airbus restructures A400M programme over production delays

30 January 2015

Airbus Defence and Space has announced plans to restructure the A400M Atlas aircraft programme amid increasing criticism from the European governments over production delays.

The A400M programme covers supply of 174 aircraft to seven Nato member countries, namely Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, and Turkey.

Only 11 aircraft have been delivered to date, including six to France, one to Germany, while the UK and Turkey each received two airlifters, after production delays, cost overruns, and technical faults.

As part of the restructuring, Airbus has transferred A400M industrial activities to its Operations unit, which is led by Pilar Albiac-Murillo.

However, programme-related activities, such as development and customer deliveries, will continue to be overseen by Rafael Tentor-led military aircraft business unit.

The move follows the resignation of Airbus Defence and Space military aircraft division head Domingo Urena-Raso, who led the troubled A400M programme since 2009.

"Airbus will do its utmost to overcome problems with integration of military capabilities so the customers receive the aircraft they need in the shortest time possible."

The resignation comes as German politicians asked Airbus managers to justify the delays to the Parliament, which they argue have damaged the company's reputation, as reported by The New York Times.

In addition, Turkey and France are believed to have expressed concerns on the ongoing problems associated with the project.

Airbus chief executive officer Bernhard Gerwert will serve as interim head of the division until 1 March, when Fernando Alonso, who is currently the head of Airbus flight test operations, would take over the responsibility.

Gerwert said the current aircraft in service are showing good performance and have also been deployed in military operations, but conceded that the company has failed to perform at the expected level in integration of military capabilities and the industrial ramp-up.

Gerwert said: "That is unacceptable and we will fix that. We are fully conscious of how dependent the customer nations are on this new airlifter and therefore take their concerns very seriously.

"We will do our utmost to overcome them so the customers receive the aircraft they need in the shortest time possible.

"I expect that the new team will rapidly address existing shortfalls in the most efficient way."

Airbus said: "The military capabilities consisting of aerial delivery, cargo handling system, defensive aids subsystems (DASS), and air-to-air refuelling with pods will be integrated in the second half of 2015, following certification and qualification for each capability.

"Additional military capabilities will be integrated gradually up until 2018, as contractually agreed.

"We are continuing our intense and constructive discussion with OCCAR and the customer nations regarding the delivery schedule, and will communicate on this once those have been concluded."

US Army negotiating new AH-64 Apache agreement with Boeing

30 January 2015



The US Army is reportedly in talks with Boeing regarding a new multi-year agreement for the acquisition of an additional 240 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from 2017 to 2021.

US Army Apache programme manager Colonel Jeff Hager was quoted by Reuters as saying that army acquisition chief Heidi Shyu recently signed a document for the two sides to start work on an agreement, with the aim of receiving approval from the defence secretary by March 2016.

Boeing attack helicopters business development head Mark Ballew said it could include options for foreign military sales of 100 Apaches.

The US Government has already approved Apache sales to Qatar and Indonesia, Ballew added, noting that the helicopter has also drawn interest from other countries.

According to Reuters, lawmakers generally ask military services to demonstrate significant savings compared to the cost of negotiating purchases on a year-by-year basis.

Boeing attack helicopter programmes vice-president Kim Smith said: "We at Boeing have been doing our part to leave no stone unturned."

"We at Boeing have been doing our part to leave no stone unturned."

Meanwhile, Pentagon chief arms buyer Frank Kendall reportedly told the House Armed Services Committee that he favoured multi-year agreements because they allow programme managers to focus on performance, rather than annual contract negotiations.

Powered by two GE T700-701D engines, the AH-64 Apache is primarily used for distributed operations and deep precision strikes against relocatable targets. It can also provide armed reconnaissance when required in day, night, obscured battlefield and adverse weather conditions.

It is used by US, Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and Singapore.

(Credit to nenekgudel)

If I'm not mistaken there's an older Air defense system called Oerlikon 'Skyguard' right? It has 2x 35mm autocannons, a surveillance/fire control radar & a launcher for 4 Sparrow or Aspide SAM missiles. Looks very good for short/medium range air defense.

Wonder why we never got the system? We're using Oerlikon 35mm just fine.

saw the gun before..
but never seen the radar system for the skyguard like this below

TNI marksmans share tip how to become a top marksman that is the will to be only the number one.

New Apache confounded the enemy in combat, commander says

By Kyle Jahner, Staff writer 9:28 a.m. EST February 1, 2015

Lt. Col. John Davis said the enemy in Afghanistan had gotten used to the Apache AH-64D. The enemy knew roughly how long the Apache would take to get there, how long it could engage, when it would have to leave for fuel and when it might come back.

The first battalion commander to deploy the new Apache AH-64E Guardian in combat said that's why the new model managed to scare a confused enemy.

"Now the E shows up and now the enemy is literally on the ground, 'I can't move,'" Davis said. "When is this guy going to go get gas?"

Praise for the AH-64E Apache helicopter, along with updates on the Chinook CH-47F's roll-out and future plans for that program, dominated a presentation for media by Boeing and the Army at Boeing's Washington, D.C.,-area headquarters in Arlington.

Davis, commander of the 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, praised the speed, range, loiter time and network capability of the new Apaches. His unit deployed with 24 of them to Afghanistan from March to November 2014, where they logged 11,000 combat flight hours.

"I will absolutely say this is the most lethal, versatile Apache thus far," said Davis, an Apache pilot himself. "It was a game-changer for the way we deployed its capabilities against the threats we had in Afghanistan and the way the theater was collapsing down" and forward operating bases closing.

The Army has begun discussions about a deal to buy about 240 AH-64E Apache helicopters from Boeing from 2017 to 2021. Such multi-year deals require approval of the defense secretary and Congress and generally must show significant savings, according to federal acquisition policy.

Aside from an estimated top speed (188 mph) about 20 mph faster than the AH-64D, the AH-64E can hang out longer once it reaches the battle. Given about a 15-minute trip to the field, the old model can stay in the air in a fight for about 2½ to three hours. The Guardian can fight for about three to 3½ hours.

The Army provided Boeing some feedback after the deployment including a desire for extended-range fuel tanks, which would increase even further how far the aircraft could fly and how long it could remain in battle.

The E-model can also control unmanned aircraft vehicles such as the Gray Eagle via Tactical Control Data Link, giving it a better view of the situation on the ground, including from outside of the range where enemies could hear it coming.

The Army received, trained and fielded the E model in 14 months before it first saw combat. Davis had said earlier that pilots essentially had nothing but praise for the aircraft expected by the Army to also have a longer life expectancy than the D model.

One drawback has been that the on-board data link, the TCDL of the E model, is an advanced system not universal to all the military's components; Davis said that in post-mission briefings with Boeing the Army communicated that it would like to add the older Surveillance and Control Data Link along with TCDL.

France Cuts Order for Tiger Helicopters

By Pierre Tran 2:55 p.m. EST January 31, 2015

PARIS — French authorities have agreed to cut 20 Tiger combat helicopters and retrofit to simplify the two-model fleet to the more capable attack version, Airbus Helicopter executive vice president Dominique Maudet said on Jan. 27.

The value of the contract will remain the same despite the smaller number of units because unit cost will increase. The new feature is a conversion of the existing escort unit to the attack model, he said.

The 20-strong cut stems from the 2014-19 multiyear budget law, which slashed a planned acquisition of 80 Tigers to 60, reflecting tough budgetary constraints. The Army would have received 40 of the support and escort, and 40 in the support and attack version.

The multiyear budget law sets out a delivery of 16 new Tigers out to 2019.

The Direction Générale de l'Armement "amended the Tiger contract, which went into effect Dec. 19," a spokesman for the procurement office said. Under the amendment, there is a firm order for 24 attack and a retrofit of 36 escort units, he said.

That firm order of 24 new attack helicopters is effectively a cut of 16 from the previous contract for 40 units. Airbus Helicopters said there are also options to compensate for the reduced order, but gave no details.

Airbus Helicopter is expected to deliver the first retrofit of the escort to the attack model in 2017.

The existing fleet of escort units will be upgraded with laser-guided Hellfire II missiles and a more powerful engine.

In December, Airbus delivered the first three of the attack, or hélicoptère appui-destruction (HAD), Block 2 version. These are equipped with an improved targeting system, additional combat external fuel tanks, and are certified for Hellfire and Spike air-to-ground missile, in addition to the Mistral air-to-air weapon. The remaining new units will be shipped by the end of 2017, Maudet said.

The Army lost one of the Tigers in Afghanistan in 2011, due to bad weather conditions.

In 2012 prices, the French share of the Tiger program was €6.3 billion (US $7.1 billion), based on 80 units ordered separately by France and Germany, and 22 by Spain, a French Senate report on the draft 2013 defense budget said. The unit cost, excluding development, was then €27 million for the escort, and €35.6 million for the attack version.

Other French helicopter programs have been affected. On the NH90 transport helicopter, deliveries have been stretched out, with the French Navy to receive three units this year and then two units per year. The Navy has ordered 27 NH90s.

The Army, which is due to receive a total 68 NH90s, will receive four per year compared to a previous target of eight.

The helicopter orders are funded in the conventional procurement process and there have not been talks of acquiring them under the planned special purpose company, a new lease deal being created by the administration.