France deploys Tiger helicopters in Middle East

France has deployed Tiger attack helicopters to counter drone threats in the Middle East, French Army Chief of Staff General Pierre Schill said in an interview published Monday.

The deployment comes as armed forces across the region continue to face persistent threats from unmanned aerial systems, including one-way attack drones and other low-cost aerial platforms. France’s decision to use Tiger helicopters reflects the increasing need to adapt existing combat assets to missions that traditionally would have been handled by dedicated air defense systems.

In the interview, Schill said, “We are deploying Tiger helicopters against drones in the Middle East.”

The Tiger is a dedicated attack helicopter built for armed reconnaissance, close air support, anti-armor missions, and escort operations. Equipped with electro-optical sensors, advanced targeting systems, and a 30 mm cannon, the aircraft can also be adapted to engage slow-moving, low-flying aerial threats such as drones under suitable conditions.

This operational use is particularly relevant given how drone warfare has reshaped military planning in recent years. Across multiple theaters, drones have emerged as a persistent threat to fixed positions, logistics hubs, and deployed forces, forcing militaries to repurpose existing platforms for counter-UAS missions.

Schill also emphasized that the French Army’s priorities for 2026 include reinforcing logistics capacity and improving firepower. Those focus areas have gained added importance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which accelerated European reassessment of readiness, ammunition stocks, force mobility, and the ability to sustain operations in high-intensity conflict scenarios.

Since taking command of French land forces in 2021, Schill has overseen the Army through a period marked by renewed emphasis on conventional warfare preparedness.