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hen the Australian Army Ten heavy-lift Boeing CH-47F back to 1914,” says Brigadier Scott their promised level of operational
Aviation Corps was officially Chinooks are the largest of Benbow, Director General of Army capability.
Wformed in 1968, Australia was at 140 aircraft in Australian Army Aviation and head of the Australian Out of an initial acquisition of 39,
war and Army pilots were flying Sioux service. defence Army Aviation Corps. 18 Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black Hawks
helicopters and Cessna light aircraft in “Today we have 140 aircraft, we remain in service, all supporting
South Vietnam. have 1,495 uniformed members and domestic counter-terrorism and
Half a century on, Australian Army we have a deep industrial support base special forces, operated by the
Aviation is an all rotary-wing force that enables those young men and 6th Aviation Regiment from
with advanced and ever-evolving women to do their jobs. We have more Holsworthy Army Base in Sydney.
capabilities. than 3,000 people supporting our These are on their way out as Army
The next big step is to fully capability. transitions MRH-90 to the special
integrate this capability with the “We have one of the most forces support role.
Navy’s two Canberra class LHD sophisticated training systems in the BRIG Benbow said that transition
amphibious assault vessels, giving world. We have extensive support had started but the first MRH-90s
the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and a very sophisticated command won’t start flying in Sydney until
an unprecedented ability to conduct and control network to support this January 2019.
aviation operations within our region capability and we have a very effective “When we moved MRH-90 into the
And after an extended period of ‘The great capability to do its job for the training role we didn’t need the (Black
or further afield. combat brigade that enables this 5th Aviation Regiment and into the
operations supporting Australian and focus was Australian people. Hawk) fleet size we had so we were
coalition forces in the Middle East, “We have a world-class aviation able to put a lot into hangars,” he said.
growing prospect that the future could supporting system for an Army of our size.” same as the Americans use. It’s
Army Aviation is refocusing on the
“Our Black Hawks aren’t the
That now comprises 47 MRH-90
involve high intensity peer-on-peer troops in Taipan transport helicopters, most a very early version with some
combat. based in Townsville with the 5th specific modifications. Over time the
was formed, the focus was supporting counter- Aviation Regiment supporting configurations have deviated further
But back in 1968 when the Corps
3rd Brigade. Seven are located at the
from the American models.
Australian troops in counter- insurgency Army Aviation Training Centre at “What that’s meant is we have
insurgency operations in South Oakey, southern Queensland. had to recycle some of the bespoke
Vietnam. operations The Royal Australian Navy operates parts back into our existing fleet. Part
“On July 1, 1968 we had 106 another six from HMAS Albatross at of the reason we reduced the fleet
officers and one NCO and we were in South Nowra, NSW supporting Navy fleet size is we didn’t need them and the
operating the Sioux helicopter in operations. other part was to reinvest some of the
force with a proud tradition extending Vietnam.’ the MRH-90s are now approaching components back into our existing
Vietnam. We were a relatively small
After a troubled development,
fleet.”
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