Two ex-US military Black Hawk helicopters bought to help fight SA bushfires
Two ex-US Black Hawk helicopters have been added to the state’s bushfire arsenal and will be on standby for the fire season. See them in action.
Adelaide Hills
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South Australia’s bushfire defence has been given a much-needed boost with the deployment of military-grade helicopters.
Two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters will be on standby for the entirety of the state’s 2021/22 bushfire season after being acquired from the United States military.
Both aircraft were bought under the state government’s $10.2m pledge towards aerial firefighting and are the only two of their kind to have been certified for use in accordance with Australian aviation standards.
Each helicopter is estimated to be worth around $3m.
Emergency Services Minister Vincent Tarzia said the Black Hawks would be operated by SA company Aerotech.
“They are coming from the battle ground and will be going on to the fireground,” he said.
“Black Hawks can deploy in just five minutes, surpassing the ability of other Type 1 firefighting helicopters, meaning CFS volunteers on the ground have greater aerial support for longer periods.
“Each helicopter has a top speed of 360km/h and can hold 4000l of water retardant.
“They can refill from a tank or a dam in just 35 seconds and the accuracy of water drops is pinpoint.”
Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said the Black Hawks were the “next generation” of firebombers, which have been used in SA since 2006.
“Our aircraft are key factors in helping to slow the speed of fires so our ground troops can safely get in and extinguish them,” he said.
“It’s hard to say if the addition of a couple of new helicopters will significantly change the firefighting operation but it is definitely safe to say that without them we would be compromised.
“The public expectation is that aerial firefighting is the way ahead so every year we’ll be pushing for more resources, trying to enhance the fleet.”
Chief pilot Chris Boyd will be among a crew of four to be stationed at Claremont Airbase - near Brukunga - for the next five months.
“Over the fire season we will be on standby and we’ll be there, at the air base, waiting for something to happen,” he said.
“If there’s a call, we’ll be dispatched for that and, if appropriate, we’ll work with the CFS and vehicles on the ground and other assets in the air.”
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