‘Let RAAF run the army faulty helicopters’

Former air force chief Geoff Brown says Defence should hand the army’s troubled MRH-90 Taipan and ARH Tiger helicopters to the RAAF.

An Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.

Former air force chief Geoff Brown says Defence should hand the army’s troubled MRH-90 Taipan and ARH Tiger helicopters to the RAAF, arguing it is “part of an air force’s DNA” to keep complex aircraft ready to fly.

The Airbus helicopters have consistently failed to meet planned flying hours, with Defence blaming “chronic” spare parts shortages and inaccurate manufacturer information on maintenance-to-flying-hour ratios for their recent poor availability.

Air Marshal Brown, who served as air force chief from 2011 to 2015, said the MRH-90 and ARH were demanding European designs and posed difficult logistical challenges, which meant they would never approach the serviceability of US-made helicopters such as the Blackhawk.

However, he said the RAAF could achieve higher availability rates for the aircraft.

“They can be made to work but it needs technical and operational leadership that truly understands what needs to be done,” he told The Australian. “I personally believe the RAAF would be able to do a better job of maintaining the helicopters at a higher serviceability rate because air forces at their heart are complex engineering and logistics organisations, and the quality of that part of the organisation really determines the quality of an air force.

“The operational side of the organisation needs to fully understand the challenges in keeping aviation assets serviceable. It’s part of an air force’s DNA.”

Air Marshal Brown said the army’s priorities and work habits were different to those of the air force, with the army mandating physical and weapons training and promotions courses before other tasks. This meant aircraft serviceability was afforded a relatively lower priority, he said.

“There is no real problem with the army aviators or the maintenance teams. It’s just they are inside this army framework, and that’s what they’ve got to do.”

Air Marshal Brown said the difference could be seen in the better availability of contract workforce-maintained MRH-90s at the Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey, Queensland, compared to army-maintained MRH-90s at the 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville.

He said Defence’s joint operational approach meant it no longer mattered which service “owned the assets”.

The Australian reported this week the helicopters were suffering from a raft of newly disclosed problems, cutting the MRH-90’s flying hours by 46 per cent, and the ARH’s by 35 per cent, against planned 2019-20 targets.

Labor has called for an independent audit of Defence’s entire helicopter acquisition program after the department provided a detailed update on the problems with both helicopters.

Airbus Australia Pacific managing director Andrew Mathewson said the company had a good relationship with the RAAF.

“Airbus Australia Pacific remains committed to working with all areas of the Australian defence forces,” he said.