Germany receives helicopter configured for use in Afghanistan

DONAUWORTH, Germany, March 7 (UPI) -- The 12th and last Tiger UHT helicopter upgraded for use in Afghanistan has been delivered to the German Army by Airbus Helicopters.

The four-bladed, twin-engine chopper has a maximum speed of 181 miles per hour with a maximum range of about 500 miles and a ceiling of 13,000 feet.

Airbus Helicopters, formerly known as Eurocopter, upgraded the base platform to the ASGARD, or Afghanistan Stabilization German Army Rapid Deployment configuration, which includes installation of engine sand filters, additional ballistic protection, and enhanced communication equipment for multinational missions.

"The Tiger ASGARD program is the result of a successful and close cooperation between Airbus Helicopters and the German Armed Forces," said Wolfgang Schroder, the managing director of Airbus Helicopters in Germany. "Today's milestone underscores our ability to develop and implement upgrades that meet specific army requirements in highly-demanding environments such as Afghanistan."

The 12th Tiger was delivered to the military earlier this week at its facility in Donauworth, which assembles and modifies the aircraft.

Germany is part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

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Germany receives helicopter configured for use in Afghanistan