Safety strobe-lights worn by ground crew streak a time lapse photograph of a Tiger helicopter being prepared for a night mission on the Woomera range.

A test pilot of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Project Office, Major Andrew Langley, looks over a Hellfire missile loaded on a Tiger helicopter's weapon rails during preflight checks at Woomera.

Live firing on the Woomera range of a Hellfire missile from a Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.

The Australian Army recently demonstrated the firepower capability of the Hellfire missile system which has been integrated onto its Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARH).

The aim of the Hellfire Test Campaign was to certify the weapon for service use on the ARH.

Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Director General of Army Aviation Systems Brigadier Mark Patch said the testing of the Hellfire missile capability is a significant milestone in the ARH program.

‘The challenges faced with the integration of a United States missile on to a Tiger is seen as a significant triumph for Australian Aerospace and the DMO,’ he said.

The Hellfire Test Campaign was conducted in two phases at Woomera, South Australia as a cooperative activity between Australia Aerospace and Defence.

Phase One was completed in May 2005 with the launch of the first practice missile.

Phase Two concluded on 7 December with the successful firing of six missiles, two of which were fitted with live warheads.

‘The accuracy of the Hellfire system on a Tiger was excellent with each of the missiles hitting the target from distances of between six and eight kilometres,’ Brigadier Patch said.