After years of grounded fleets, spiraling costs, and capability gaps, Australia overhauled its military aviation by turning to reliable American platforms
Australia undertook a significant overhaul of its military helicopter capabilities, moving to replace both its MRH-90 Taipan multi-role fleet and its Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters with more reliable, battle-proven alternatives.
Replacing the MRH-90 Taipan with the UH-60M Black Hawk
On Aug. 25, 2022, the US government approved a potential Foreign Military Sale of 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia. According to Transmittal No. 22-51, the State Department estimated the cost of the deal at $1.95 billion. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that the proposed sale would replace Australia’s multi-role helicopter fleet with a more reliable and proven system, improving the Australian Army’s ability to deploy combat power, deter threats, and respond with credible force.
The decision came after years of persistent problems with the MRH-90 Taipan, which had been in service since 2007. Former Defense Minister Peter Dutton acknowledged that the helicopter’s performance had been “an ongoing and well-documented concern,” with significant effort and expense spent trying to remediate its issues. Among the most notable problems, the Department of Defense noted in 2020 that the Taipans’ doors were too narrow to allow troops to fire while descending. The fleet was grounded in 2019 due to severe tail rotor vibration and delamination, and again in early 2021 over broader maintenance and safety concerns. To maintain capability in the interim, the Defense Department spent more than $37 million hiring civilian helicopters in Townsville. The decision to retire the European-designed helicopter came about a decade sooner than originally planned.
Replacing the Eurocopter Tiger with a New Attack Helicopter
Separately, Australia issued a Request for Information (RFI) under the Land 4503 program for 29 armed reconnaissance helicopters to replace the Australian Army’s fleet of Eurocopter Tigers. The requirement called for a proven, mature, off-the-shelf platform, with 12 aircraft needing to achieve initial operating capability (IOC) by 2026 and full operational capability by 2028. Five of the 29 airframes were earmarked for training.
The RFI specified that the new helicopter had to fit inside a C-17A Globemaster III for strategic transport, be capable of operating from the Royal Australian Navy’s landing helicopter dock vessels, and be able to work alongside Unmanned Aerial Systems — relevant given Australia’s concurrent acquisition of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper to replace its Textron RQ-7 Shadow 200 tactical UAS fleet.
Australia had originally selected the Tiger in 2001, with 22 aircraft ultimately delivered, 18 of which were assembled locally by Eurocopter Australia in Brisbane. Despite delivery of the final aircraft a decade later, the Tigers only achieved full operational capability in 2016, with first sea-borne operations in April 2019. They were based at Oakey (Queensland) and Robertson Barracks in Darwin, serving with 161 and 162 Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 1st Aviation Regiment.
Scramble Magazine assessed that only the Bell AH-1Z Viper and the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian were likely contenders. The Viper shares engines with the MH-60R already in Australian service, offering a standardization advantage, while the Apache’s Boeing Airpower Teaming System supports manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) with platforms already operated by the RAAF, including the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, E-7A Wedgetail, and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. Both types participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 in Australia, giving planners the opportunity to evaluate them under realistic operational conditions.
Photos: Capt. Brian Harris / U.S. Army; Royal Australian Navy; Bidgee via Wikipedia
