Tiger Helicopter goes down during 2025 Exercise Talisman Sabre operations
It has been revealed that the Army Tiger helicopter which went down in the NT outback was just hours away from wrapping up its contribution to Exercise Talisman Sabre. Meanwhile, defence are remaining tight-lipped around the situation. Details.
The military helicopter which hard-landed in the NT outback was just hours away from finishing the exercise, defence say, with authorities remaining tight-lipped around incident.
On Saturday afternoon, the ADF confirmed a Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) sustained damaged after it experienced a hard-landing at Bradshaw Training Area, near Timber Creek, on the evening of July 16.
No major injuries or casualties were sustained.
In response, an Aviation Safety Investigation Team deployed to the NT to examine the circumstances around the incident.
Meanwhile, the incident was kept under close wraps by defence media, who held off from announcing the incident for almost 48 hours.
As officials enter day three of their investigation, defence have now confirmed ARH support to Exercise Talisman Sabre was supposed to have concluded on the same day of the incident.
For 1st Aviation Regiment - the unit involved in the incident - the investigation has created inconvenience, with the entire unit barred from flying operations while the investigation unfolds.
Asked when the unit would be permitted to take to the skies again, defence declined to comment.
‘Independent investigation’ launched after Talisman Sabre chopper goes down
An Army Tiger helicopter has gone down during a training exercise in the Northern Territory as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre.
An Australian Defence Force spokesperson told this masthead a Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) experienced a “hard landing” in the vicinity of the Bradshaw Training Area, at Timber Creek, on July 16.
There were no major injuries or casualties as a result of the incident, according to the spokesperson.
The two crew on-board were unharmed and were able to safely exit the aircraft.
The helicopter sustained damage during the hard landing.
The Director of the Defence Flight Safety Bureau has established an independent aviation safety investigation team to probe the incident.
“To enable to conduct of this investigation the 1st Aviation Regiment has implemented a pause on unit flying operations,” the statement read.
“Other rotary wing support to the exercise will continue.”
The Defence spokesperson thanked the Northern Territory Emergency Services and the United States for their support during the response to the incident.
“Defence is committed to ensuring the safety of military personnel during all exercise and training activities, including Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025,” they said.
The ADF has plans to retire the Tiger, which was brought into service in 2004.
Made in Europe, army aviators have raised concerns around the chopper’s performance, with technical deficiencies and maintenance issues a common criticism of the airframe.
Under army project LAND 4503, the Tiger is expected to be replaced in late 2025 by the world-renowned AH-64E Apache attack helicopter.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is a multinational operation that has been conducted between Australia and the United States biennially since 2005.
The 2025 iteration of the event started on July 13.
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Originally published as Tiger Helicopter goes down during 2025 Exercise Talisman Sabre operations
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