Australia grounds Tiger helicopter

Thu May 17 2012, 16:44 PM

The Australian Army has grounded its fleet of Eurocopter Tiger Armed reconnaissance helicopters after fumes were detected in the cockpit of one.

The Australian Army has a fleet of 22 Tiger helicopters, and of these 19 are in the fully capable configuration and operating in the fleet, while the remaining three are undergoing a retrofit program and are scheduled to return to the fleet later in the year.

The Army’s Tiger fleet is not yet in full operational service. It will become fully operational once its capabilities and maturity have been fully tested and proven to the satisfaction of the Army, and final testing is planned for the end of 2012.

Australian Aerospace delivered the last of 22 helicopters, which cost AUD40 million and fire 600 rounds per minute, to the Army, at the company's final assembly plant in December 2011.