Oakey Army Aviation Centre to retire fleet of MRH-90 Taipans

A new decision made by the Australian Defence Force will have a resounding impact on the base out at Oakey – but it might be for the better. Here’s why.

An entire fleet of Australian Defence Force vehicles are being retired 10 years early in a move one political leader says will place Oakey at the forefront of defence in Australia.

The ADF announced the Airbus MRH-90 Taipans will potentially be replaced by Black Hawks, a decade earlier than anticipated, with 41 of those helicopters operated out of Oakey and Townsville.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton said he hoped the move would place Oakey as a hub for defence in the nation.

“What I’m really hoping for is to see Oakey established as a centre of excellence for maintenance and training,” he said.

“This will go a long way.

An MRH90 Taipan helicopter from the School of Army Aviation in Oakey conducts a low-level flying display along the Brisbane River in the CBD for Sunsuper Riverfire.

“If we can get the right aircraft at Oakey it’s going to make it much easier to bring maintenance and training into the region.”

The helicopters are being dumped over a series of “concerns”, according to Defence Minister Peter Dutton.

Mr Hamilton said he believed the move would allow other defence departments to expand their operations to the Darling Downs, and would facilitate the expansion of overseas relations.

He said defence will be a “huge part” of the region’s future.

“I do believe it will be established as the centre for maintenance and training for helicopters in Australia,” he said.

“This will be great for Oakey.

“What I want to see is more countries join us at Oakey like the Singaporeans have.

“I want to see us continue to expand our bonds with regional allies.”

Mr Dutton said the act of replacing the helicopters was a matter of safety.

“The performance of the MRH90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for Defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try to remediate those issues,” Minister Dutton said.

“It is critically important there is a safe, reliable and capable utility helicopter available for our service men and women into the future, with reasonable and predictable operating costs.”

To support the development of detailed options, the Australian Government has requested information from the United States Government on the UH-60M Black Hawk as an alternative platform to the MRH90 Taipan.