PARS 3 LR, the main armament for the German Army’s Tiger helicopter, passes into full scale production. This follows the successful completion of the system’s validation program for the German customer, an event marked by a direct hit against an intended target during a test firing carried out at the Meppen test range (located in Lower Saxony, NW Germany) on 20 September 2012.

The target was provided by a tank moving in between houses. In the final firing, the PARS 3 LR missile struck the target with exceptional precision in a demanding urban combat scenario at a range of approximately 3 km. All test firings were carried out from a German Tiger helicopter. The tests confirm that PARS 3 LR completely fulfils the specified system performance requirements under operational conditions.

After formal clearance by the BAAINBw (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support), PARS 3 LR is now ready to go into full-scale series production for the German Army’s Tiger helicopter.

“The successful conclusion of the firing campaign sends a strong signal to our national customers and potential export customers. This guided missile system will make an important contribution to the Bundeswehr, enabling it to fulfil the demanding missions it is expected to perform even better in the future,” declared Thomas Homberg, Managing Director of MBDA Germany.  

“We have impressively demonstrated the exceptional capabilities and high precision of the PARS 3 LR. This success was made possible by the joint contribution of all parties concerned, from the German Army, the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) including the technical commands, the weapon system command and industry. I want to thank everyone for their enormous dedication,” added Siegfried Bücheler, Programs and Sales Director at MBDA Germany.

With the PARS 3 LR, the German Army will receive what is currently the most high-performance fire-and-forget guided missile system for precision strikes against stationary and moving high-value targets while simultaneously assuring maximum protection for both helicopter and crew.

The PARS 3 LR fire-and-forget system allows the helicopter to quit its position immediately after firing a missile, thereby limiting to the absolute minimum its exposure to the threat of retaliation. Salvo firing allows the engagement of various targets at the same time. Its technical lay-out design enables unambiguous target identification, target designation, and highly precise effects against a large target spectrum over the whole range spectrum.

Manufacture for the German Army will be carried out by PARSYS, a joint venture between MBDA Germany and Diehl BGT Defence. The procurement contract for the PARS 3 Long Range precision fire-and-forget missiles was signed by the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB), MBDA Germany and Diehl BGT Defence. The contract covers industrialization and delivery of 680 missiles for the German Army.

The weapon is already generating significant interest in the export market. To meet a helicopter-launched air-to-ground Anti-Tank Guided Missile requirement in India, MBDA has proposed the PARS 3 LR multi-target, long range weapon system which has now been short-listed by the Indian MoD. Within the framework of this competition, PARS 3 LR has achieved an outstanding level of performance during two firing campaigns comprising six firings all of which struck their targets at the optimal hit point.