Australian Tigers

[as350nut]

Can someone explain why Australia is buying/flying the Tiger when we could expect no help from the French in a war. Meanwhile our US allies who could lend, give, donate, sell cheap Apache helicopters to us, and we do fight beside them, seem to have been ignored. Apology for ignorance in advance.

[gulliBell]

Army thought they were buying an "off-the-shelf" proven platform that only required "Australianization" of the weapons and communications systems. The reality came as a surprise to them.

http://www.anao.gov.au/~/media/Uploads/Documents/2005%2006_audit_report_36.pdf

[heliduck]

My guess is that the same experts who managed the Collins class submarine debacle & decided to buy second hand Kaman Seasprites had a hand in it.

[gulliBell]

$1,900 million package for 22 French made helicopters + support, one of which slightly bent already, and none have reached contracted capability. And the project has been going over 10 years. Yep, sounds normal for ADF major projects.

I wonder how many Apache AH-64D Longbows they could have bought "off-the-shelf" for that?

[rjtjrt]

If I recall correctly, we could get 22 Tigers for the available budget, or 18 Apache.
As it turned out, not really such a good deal in the end.
John

[RotaryWingB2]

If you think there is such a thing as 'off the shelf' attack helicopter buying you are sadly mistaken.

You'll probably find that every user of Tiger/Apache/Rooivalk outside of it's home nation (and even that's not guaranteed) has been late/over budget/not fit for purpose.

It's the normal state of affairs everywhere.:mad:

[rjtjrt]

RotaryWing
Care to name the countries and experiences to which you are referring?

[RotaryWingB2]

Bloody hell, where do start?

Britain - Apache, Merlin, future (my arse) Lynx.
Eurozone - Tiger, NH90, euro fighter.
South Africa - Rooivalk....waaaaaaaaayy over budget and late. Very late.

Show me a defence project that's been on time and on budget and I'll show my arse in woolworths window.

[Stallion85]

And don't forget the USA:
RAH-66
ARH-70
V-22
etc.

[BOBAKAT]

The tiger is the best...That's all !:ok: