Grounded Taipan helo fleet to be disassembled and buried rather than sold

Defence is reportedly dismantling its grounded fleet of Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopters worth $900 million and burying components on a defence site as landfill.

Defence is reportedly dismantling its maligned grounded fleet of Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopters worth $900 million and burying components on a defence site as landfill.

According to respected military industry trade magazine the Asia Pacific Defence Reporter (APDR) the decision was taken “in secret” to destroy the Army’s 45 multi-role helos rather than sell them.

This was despite the 10-tonne carbon fibre aircraft being worth at least $20 million each on the second-hand market, where they remain in operation in 14 other countries.

The APDR claims some of the more expensive components, such as the gear boxes, are being offered gratis to New Zealand.

Australian Army soldiers disembark from an Army MRH90 Taipan from Townsville’s 5th Aviation Regiment. Picture: Cameron Bates

But all 45 of the helicopters are currently being disassembled by technicians, possibly in Townsville, and will take several months, with their final resting place to take place next year buried in a large defence site somewhere.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Friday: “We are looking at all the options available for maximising the value which sits within the Taipan fleet”.

Defence would not say if it was going to use the helos as landfill but confirmed it had no takers for its second hand choppers in their whole form.

“Defence is working with Airbus Australia Pacific and NATO Helicopter Industries to harvest key spares from the MRH-90 fleet for the use of other NH90 operators,” it said.

“Defence will dispose of the remaining airframes and systems in an environmentally friendly and cost effective manner.”

The decision to destroy rather than sell was apparently made in September, around the time they were earmarked for service retirement, following the crash of one in July during the Talisman Sabre exercise off the coast of Queensland which killed four defence personnel.

The fleet was grounded after the crash, the latest in a series of incidents, and was scrapped from service 14 years ahead of schedule.

The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter is seen in shallow water on the beach after crashing off Jervis Bay. Picture: TNV

Royal Australian Navy sailors from mine hunter HMAS Huon conduct search operations in the vicinity of Lindeman Island, Queensland, 30 July 2023 following an Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash.

That crash followed a Taipan ditching earlier in the year in seas off Jervis Bay, there is some speculation both incidents involved human operator error rather than mechanical and were linked.

Defence has consistently not commented on the causes, declaring both incident investigations remained open including the Talisman one where four separate probes were underway.

The early retirement of the Taipan, in favour of the UH-60M Black Hawk currently being introduced into service, has created a capability gap of Army aviation rotary-wing assets and the Special Forces that use them. Three of a planned $3 billion fleet of 40 have arrived – to be based at Holsworthy in Sydney and Oakey in Queensland – but are still undergoing evaluation and are not operational.

An Australian Army MRH90 Taipan helicopter from 6th Aviation Regiment conducts reconnaissance at Shepparton, Victoria, as part of Operation Flood Assist 2022.

Just this week the Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlewaite was asked about the gap and whether it was contributing to a lack of ADF assets for Cyclone Jasper recovery operations including mass flooding in Cairns and elsewhere in Australia’s north. Taipans had previously responded to such crises like bushfires and floods.

Mr Thistlewaite dismissed the suggestion and said the four large Chinook transporter helicopters were enough, despite claims their huge downdraft made them unsuitable for more agile rescue and response work.

“The advice from the safety experts was that that (Taipan) fleet should no longer be operational and is being phased out. Australia has received the first Blackhawks they are in the process of being commissioned, but at all times when it comes to all equipment within the Australian Defence Force safety is paramount and we can’t cut corners on that testing and verification process that’s going on at the moment.”