CANBERRA, Sept 29: The Australian Defence Force’s fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters has been retired early following a fatal crash.
On Friday, Defence and Defence Industry ministers Richard Marles and Pat Conroy announced that the Taipans will not return to flying operations before their planned withdrawal date of December 2024.
It comes after four Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were killed in July when their MRH-90 crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland during a military training exercise.
“The government’s highest priority is the safety and well-being of our people,” Marles said in a joint statement with Conroy.
“We continue to support the families of the four soldiers who lost their lives earlier this year, and the broader defence community.”
The first of a fleet of 40 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that will replace the Taipans have arrived in Australia.
Four crew were flying a MRH-90 near Hamilton Island – 900 km north of Brisbane – on the night of July 28 as part of Exercise Tasman Sabre 2023 when the helicopter crashed into the ocean.
In March, the fleet was temporarily grounded when 10 ADF personnel were rescued from the ocean off the coast of New South Wales after their Taipan crashed during counterterrorism training exercises.
Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
— BERNAMA-XINHUA