NH Industries’ MRH-90 Taipan helicopters (Australian version of the French NH-90 Caiman) will not return to service before their planned retirement date in December 2024, the Australian Ministry of Defense announced in a simple press release. They will be replaced as soon as possible by 40 American UH-60M Black Hawks produced by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Three copies of this order already entered service in September.
This decision was made in 2021 in parallel with the termination of the submarine contract with Naval Group. It was to come into force in just over a year, but an accident that occurred in July that caused the death of four soldiers during the Talisman Saber exercise accelerated the abandonment of these helicopters produced by the NH Industries consortium that brings together Airbus Helicopters, the Italian Leonardo and the Dutch Fokker.
Current procedures
The decision to suspend the Taipan early “does not presuppose or suggest in any way the outcome of the accident investigations.” However, the Australian government has decided to no longer fly these European planes until the investigations are concluded. Current procedures will continue until 2024.
The MHR-90 will not be the only European devices that will give way to American manufacturers. Airbus Tiger attack helicopters must also be replaced by Boeing AH-64E Apache aircraft from 2025.
Source: BFM TV
