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DITCHING INCIDENT GROUNDS ADF’S ENTIRE
MRH-90 TAIPAN FLEET
| March 23, 2023
The ADF’s entire MRH-90 Taipan fleet has
been grounded after one of the helicopters ditched off the NSW South Coast
overnight.
The incident at around 9 pm yesterday saw
10 ADF personnel on a routine counter-terrorism training exercise rescued from
the water near Jervis Bay, with two sustaining minor injuries. The cause of the
ditching is currently unknown.
All personnel were safely
recovered and are being assessed at HMAS Creswell, south of Nowra.
“Tonight, quick responses from ADF
personnel and emergency services and well-drilled teams prevented a potential
tragedy,” said the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO DSC, in a
statement.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation
into this incident to determine the cause and ensure the platform remains safe
to operate.”
Originally purchased for $3.7 billion in 2005-06 to replace ageing Black Hawk and Sea King fleets, the locally-assembled Taipan has proven a headache for Defence, with statistics showing just 46 per cent of MRH-90 aircraft allocated to flying units were available to fly in 2021.
The problems led to Defence deciding to
replace the fleet with MH-60R Seahawks and UH-60M Black Hawks.
The deal for 12 MH-60R Seahawk/Romeo helicopters alone is thought to be worth more than $2.5 billion and will take the total size of the fleet to 36.
Australia initially received approval from
the US State Department for a US$1.95 billion purchase of the systems in August
2022.
However, new federal Defence Minister
Richard Marles initially raised doubts about
the deal and told the media Australia had only made a “fuzzy
commitment” that would be subject to a review process.
Months on, Head Land Capability Major
General Jeremy King then confirmed the acquisition of the asset earlier this
year, announcing that the systems will enable the Australian Army to meet their
strategic objectives.
Delivery of the systems are scheduled to
commence in 2023, with the Black Hawks operating from Oakey, Queensland and
Holsworthy, NSW.
They are expected to be maintained by a
blended workforce, which includes local industry contractors operating across
logistics, warehousing, training and development services.
“The Black Hawk capability will be a
crucial element for us to protect Australia’s sovereignty, and deliver foreign
policy objectives, including providing humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief,” MAJGEN King said.
Date: | 22-MAR-2023 |
Time: | c 21:10 LT |
Type: | NHIndustries NH90 MRH |
Owner/operator: | Australian Army Aviation Corps (AAAC) |
Registration: | A40-025 |
MSN: | 1254/TAUA25 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 10 |
Other fatalities: | 0 |
Aircraft damage: | |
Location: | off Jervis Bay, NSW - Australia |
Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | HMAS Creswell training base |
HMAS Creswell training base |
An Australian Army Aviation Corps (AAAC) NHIndustries NH90 MRH Taipan made a forced landing in Jervis Bay off New South Wales during a night time antiterrorist exercise.
Two of the ten occupants sustained minor injuries.
Slaying
Taipan: The ADF’s $3.7 billion problem
AUTHOR: Hannah Dowling
Defence’s long-troubled fleet of MRH-90 Taipan utility
helicopters was finally retired in December after years of warnings that the
program was haemorrhaging money with no results to show for it, Hannah Dowling
writes.
In December 2021, the Australian Defence Force officially
abandoned its entire fleet of 47 MRH-90 Tiapan helicopters, 16 years ahead of
schedule, after spending nearly its entire $3.7 billion acquisition cost.
Once regarded as “an extraordinarily advanced helicopter” by Chief of Defence
Force Angus Campbell, the locally-assembled Taipan fleet has been consistently
plagued with operational and performance problems that has seen it deliver more
than a decade of underwhelming results.
While no formal order has been placed, Defence has
confirmed its intentions to replace the Taipan fleet with 40 Skirosky-built
Black Hawks for Army and 12 Seahawks for Navy, to be purchased off-the-shelf
from the US under its Foreign Military Sales program. The UH60 Black Hawk is
considered the most widely-used military utility aircraft in the world, with a
proven track record for reliability and cost-efficiency.
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