The Australian Government has formally requested advice from the United States Government on the acquisition of up to 40 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to replace the troubled MRH90 Taipan fleet.
The MRH90 Taipan is currently used by the Australian Army as its utility helicopter, including support to Special Operations, and provides a maritime support capability for the Royal Australian Navy.
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said: “Defence uses its helicopters to support a range of operations. This includes humanitarian aid and disaster relief domestically and in the Indo-Pacific region, and to support our troops in combat operations.”
“The performance of the MRH90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for Defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try to remediate those issues. It is critically important there is a safe, reliable and capable utility helicopter available for our service men and women into the future, with reasonable and predictable operating costs.”
