Development on what would eventually become the Eurocopter EC665 began as early as 1984, following the issuing of a joint set of requirements by West Germany and France for a new type of multi-role combat helicopter. Although initial development was plagued by various political and economical problems leading to the effective cancellation of the project in 1986, unwavering interest in the development from both sides led to the relaunch of the project in November 1987.

Largely unaffected by the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, development of the Eurocopter EC665 entered its final stages, with the first prototype conducting its maiden flight in April 1991. Following successful testing, the first orders for the EC665 were issued by both Germany and France in 1999. The first production model rolled off the assembly line in 2002, with subsequent units entering service in the coming years. To date, 135 Tigers have been produced with production still ongoing.

Since their introduction into service in the early 2000s, the Eurocopter Tiger has seen combat action in Afghanistan and Libya with French and German forces and most recently as part of military interventions in Northern Mali. Apart from being in active service with the armed forces of France and Germany, a number of Tigers has also been exported to Spain as well as Australia. The Eurocopter Tiger is still in active service with its respective operators to this day.