Page 60 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2021

60 BATTLEFIELD AVIATION
OCTOBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
BATTLEFIELD HELICOPTER UPDATE
Army’s battlefield helicopter fleet is beginning a period of significant change, with older platforms retiring and being replaced, additional helicopters added and new capabilities acquired.
NIGEL PITTAWAY | MELBOURNE
UNDER a series of programs, the venerable Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black Hawk will finally be retired this year; the Airbus Ti- ger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) will be re- placed by the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian; four more Boeing CH-47F Chinook medium lift helicopters are being delivered; and a new capability, in the form of a light Spe- cial Operations support helicopter, will be added to Army’s Order of Battle.
Only the NHI MRH 90 Taipan multi-role helicopter fleet will remain untouched, at least for the time being, but even this has been in the news in recent times following a fleet- wide grounding.
BLACK HAWK RETIREMENT
The remaining Black Hawk helicopters will be retired by the end of 2021, after a career spanning 33 years and more than 200,000 flying hours. The initial deliveries of an even-
tual 39 helicopters were made to the RAAF in 1988, before the battlefield rotary-wing capability was transferred to Army control the following year.
“Reliable, versatile and robust, the Black Hawk has sup- ported the Army across a range of utility, air assault, am- phibious and Special Operations roles,” a Defence spokes- person said.
The few Black Hawks remaining in service operate in the Special Operations Counter-Terrorism role with Army’s 6th Aviation Regiment (6 AVN) at Holsworthy, but they are being replaced by the MRH 90 and a fitting farewell had been planned for their ultimate retirement during the now- cancelled 2021 Avalon Air Show.
“The Black Hawk has provided outstanding capability and reliability in a dedicated Special Operations Counter Terrorism role for many years, earning the confidence of Australian Special Forces,” the spokesperson added.
NIGEL PITTAWAY