Australia to retire Tiger attack helicopters after two decades

The Australian Army confirmed on 23 September 2026 that it is retiring its Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Tiger, ending two decades of service that began in 2004. The 1st Aviation Regiment will mark the milestone with sundown events on 30 September at its home base in Darwin, Northern Territory, for unit members and their families.

Six Tigers had already been taken out of service before the announcement. According to Australian defence officials, the fleet had been dogged for some time by maintenance problems and low availability.

The regiment will move to the Boeing AH-64E Apache as its new attack helicopter. Six Apaches have been delivered so far, and the Army plans to have the full fleet in place by late 2029, Defence Australia said. As part of the change, the 1st Aviation Regiment will shift 1,860 kilometres east along the northern coastline to Townsville, Queensland.

The Tiger was introduced to replace two older platforms, combining the roles of the OH-58 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopter and the armed Bushranger variant of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.

The service is still working out how to dispose of the retired airframes. Options under consideration include selling the helicopters whole, or stripping them for parts to supply other Tiger operators. A possible transfer to Ukraine was among the ideas examined, as Kyiv has long sought an attack helicopter capability to operate alongside its Mi-24 Hind fleet. No decision on disposal has been announced.