War in the Middle East: It had never been done, French Tiger helicopters deployed in the region

Face the threat of Iranian drones in the Middle East, the French army has optimized its defense strategy by deploying Tiger helicopters. These aircraft successfully intercepted Shahed drones for the first time.

In the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, France has increased its military support to the United Arab Emirates. General Pierre Schill, chief of staff of the army (CEMAT), announced in the weekly news magazine “Le Point” on March 30th, the deployment of four EC665 Tiger HAD reconnaissance and attack helicopters.

“It is much more likely that these helicopters intercept drones, as they can move forward. We are accelerating the integration of laser rockets on the Tiger, even though the goal is to use its powerful cannon,” estimated the CEMAT.

This mission aimed to strengthen the protection of Emirati airspace, particularly against Iranian Shahed drones, as Paris is linked to this state by strategic defense agreements.

Interceptions were carried out with a 30mm cannon.

Less than a week after their arrival in the field, these aircraft had already demonstrated their operational effectiveness. During a hearing at the National Assembly on April 9th, General Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMA), confirmed that the Tigers had “achieved their first shots in the Gulf.” The high-ranking official praised the French forces’ responsiveness, saying, “In less than a week, we have managed to find solutions to deploy the Tigers, and a week later, they shoot down drones, which had never been done before.”

No technical-operational details were provided about these interceptions, carried out with a 30mm cannon.

This new mission for the Tigers was made possible by adding certain functionalities. The CEMA mentioned the integration of this helicopter [equipped with radar operating in air-to-air mode] into the air defense network, thanks to the tactical data link L16. “We will equip it with rockets, and we are looking to equip it with Mistral anti-aircraft missiles,” he added.

This deployment of Tigers complements the action of Rafale jets sent in early March to secure the skies above French bases in the Middle East. It aims to reduce the cost of intercepting Iranian drones by avoiding the use of expensive Mica missiles fired by Rafale jets.

It is worth noting that the announcement of the first successful interceptions by the Tigers came in a specific diplomatic context, occurring just over 24 hours after a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States.