We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed," Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info radio. Meanwhile, the Australian defense minister explicitly spoke of the “growing threat” posed by China as he discussed the decision to replace the trouble-plagued MRH90 Taipan helicopters, which were originally due to be withdrawn in 2037.ĭutton last month called in "inconceivable" that Australia wouldn't "come to Taiwan's aid" if the US were to "defend Taiwan" against a "Chinese invasion."įollowing the cancellation of the €36.5 billion (AUD $50 billion) deal made between Australia and the "Naval Group," France's Foreign minister expressed his anger over what he identified as a betrayal. The RAN’s 808 Squadron operates a half dozen Taipans whilst the majority are stationed with the Army’s 5 Aviation Regiment. A Seahawk helicopter approaches the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Febur(Source: US Navy photo).The fleet, flown by 808 Squadron, has been grounded as a safety precaution after. Defence has confirmed flying operations of its 47 Airbus-built MRH-90 Taipan, deployed by both Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy forces, have been temporarily suspended. “The Taipans weren’t meeting their marks. The Airbus-built helicopters have been temporarily grounded amid safety concerns. Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Australian PM Scott Morrison defended the decision and claimed Australia’s Taipan fleet did not meet the ADF’s requirements. In 2015, Rear Admiral Terry Dalton complained that there were significant delays to overhaul components, adding that “some capabilities had yet to be introduced, such as separated side guns, a fast roping rappelling system, and a cargo hook for operations at sea.The Australian Defense Force announced that it will be replacing its fleet of EU Taipan helicopters with 40 US Black Hawks and 12 Seahawks.Īustralian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said that the Army and Navy will dump 47 Taipan helicopters that have been operational since 2007, whose maintenance has cost Australia's Defense Ministry over $5 billion.Īustralia had announced in September that it will cancel its 2016 submarine deal with France's Naval Group, opting instead to purchase eight US nuclear submarines, sparking the AUKUS row. The first helicopter entered service in 2007, and by 2011 the procurement was put on a “projects of concern” watch list over “delivery delays and initial technical issues.” Six aircraft were built in Europe, with the remainder assembled by Australian Aerospace in Brisbane, Queensland. Troubled AircraftĬanberra bought 46 Taipans from 2004-2006 under a $3 billion deal to replace the army’s 40 S-70A Blackhawks and six naval Sea Kings. The aircraft also performs humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The Australian Army uses the utility aircraft for various tasks, including special forces operations, while the Royal Australian Navy uses the chopper for maritime support. The decision comes months after the Australian Armed Forces grounded its fleet of 47 Taipans over maintenance and safety issues with the aircraft’s support system.Īustralia revealed in June that “the fleet was suspended as a safety precaution,” adding that the “issue relates to the application of the helicopter’s maintenance policy in the helicopter’s IT support system.” The helicopter is 16.13m long and 5.23m high and has an empty weight of 6,400kg and a maximum take-off weight of 10,600kg. “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.” Aircraft Grounding The Department of Defence stated that it is seeking to procure up to 40 Black Hawks from the US and retire the troubled Airbus aircraft earlier than their intended retirement in 2037.ĭutton explained that 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.” Australian defense minister Peter Dutton announced last week that the government wants to replace the country’s Airbus MRH 90 Taipan helicopters with Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks.
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