AS 532 (Horizon) Cougar Battlefield Surveillance Helicopter, Europe

The AS 532 Horizon system was operational with the French Army. The helicopter surveillance system was originally developed to counter any possible threat by the tank fleets of the Warsaw Pact countries. The end of the Cold War and the uncertainty of the timing and scope of new military threats brought emphasis to the importance of command, control, communications and intelligence (C3I) and the role of the heliborne surveillance radar.

The four French Army Horizon helicopters were retired in May 2008. The Army stated high maintenance costs and the use of UAVs to perform many of the helicopter's roles.

The French Ministry of Defence awarded a development contract to Eurocopter in 1992, initially for two and then four AS 532 UL Horizon systems. Eurocopter is a subsidiary of EADS (European Aeronautics Defence and Space) company, formed by DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany, Aerospatiale Matra of France and CASA of Spain.

The system includes a Cougar AS 532 UL twin-engine helicopter with radar and electronic countermeasures and a ground station. The first flight of the Horizon Cougar helicopter with the full radar system took place in late 1992. The first AS 532 Horizon was delivered to the French Army in July 1996 and the complete Horizon system of four aircraft and two ground stations entered service in March 2002.

The AS 532 UL Cougar helicopter is unarmed.

SENSORS

The helicopter is equipped with a long-range, multi-mode retractable pulse Doppler radar. A rotating antenna is carried beneath the fuselage. The radar range is 200km, with the helicopter operating at an altitude of 4,000m and a cruise speed of 180km/h.

The radar scans a ground area of 20,000km² over a depth of 200km in ten seconds, and the data is then transmitted to a ground station. For moving targets the radar provides a speed resolution of the target of 2m per second.

The cockpit is night-vision goggle compatible. A weather radar is fitted. The helicopter communications systems are encrypted. The navigation equipment includes a Decca navigator and flight log with an SFIM model 155 autopilot, inertial navigation and global positioning system (GPS). Standard equipment includes a VHF omni-directional radio range equipment (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS), radar altimeter and a GPS.

ENGINES

The AS 532 UL Cougar helicopter is equipped with two Turbomeca Makila 1A1 turboshaft engines. The air intakes are protected from debris with a grille. Centrisep multi-purpose air intakes are provided for operations in high-dust / particulate or desert conditions.

Six flexible fuel tanks with a capacity of 2,020l are self-sealing in the event of leakage following a crash or being pierced by projectiles.