France and Germany originally planned to buy 215 and 212 Tiger attack helicopters respectively, when the Tiger was designed in the final days of the Cold War. While nobody has believed, for several years, that actual production would reach these numbers, Eurocopter has now predicted that each will buy about 120 aircraft. German generals are insisting on the purchase of at least 110 aircraft to fulfill the required missions, but German politicians have suggested capping the buy at 80 in order to free up funds for the A400M transport.--Stephen V Cole