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The Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter on Feb. 13 successfully completed six weeks of arctic testing in Northern Sweden, during which the aircraft participated in a large-scale Swedish military exercise dubbed "Polar Star."
The testing is part of the Tiger's development and was needed to certify the new helicopter for cold-weather use and demonstrate that it can effectively operate under arctic conditions.
The fourth prototype version of the new helicopter was flown to Sweden aboard a French air force C-160 Transall transport and tested at Kiruna Airport and the Swedish army's Aviation Center at Boden.
France and Germany are co-developing the Tiger to replace French Gazelle and German BO-105 helicopters that entered service in the 1960s and 1970s.
Most of the tests examined the Tiger's handling and flight qualities, while other tests determined how easily the helicopter would be unloaded from a...