The Army is scheduled to have received all 40 Black Hawks by 2030. Photo: ADF.
Barely 18 months after its first two aircraft were delivered, the Australian Army has declared an initial operational capability (IOC) of its new Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
The declaration of IOC is based on the capability meeting a number of operational requirements. These include the delivery of the first 12 aircraft, the establishment of a sustainment and spares capability at Holsworthy and at a nearby business park in Sydney, the training of aircrews and maintenance personnel in-country, and the successful completion of the first special operations qualification course which was conducted over Sydney in November and December.
Other training conducted included special operations training activities with the commandos of 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) also based at Holsworthy, and first of class flight trials from the Royal Australian Navy’s training vessel, MV Sycamore.
The government says the accelerated delivery of the aircraft from the US – including aircraft taken from deliveries originally slated for the US Army – means a continued enhancement of the ADF’s battlefield aviation capability. It says that, as part of the initial Black Hawk delivery, the Army has also received maintenance and aircrew training simulators, and critical communication and navigation systems.
The first eight Black Hawks were delivered in a basic configuration, but subsequent airframes will have a winch on the side of the aircraft. Subsequent modifications planned for the aircraft include VHF and UHF radios, satellite communications (SATCOM), a weather radar, and a forward-looking infrared sensor (FLIR).
Those aircraft not delivered with these enhancements will need to be retrofitted. A company based in Huntsville in the US state of Alabama is tasked with performing such modifications for US Army Black Hawks, but it is not clear whether this work could be conducted in Australia or if it will be necessary to return the aircraft to the US for the work.
The final fleet of 40 aircraft will be delivered by 2030, and they will be based with the 6th Aviation (6Avn) Regiment at Holsworthy, and with 5Avn at Oakey in Queensland.
Regular detachments of Black Hawks can also be expected to be seen at Townsville and Darwin, as well as embarked aboard the Royal Australian Navy’s Canberra-class large amphibious Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) vessels.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the helicopters would contribute to the security of Australia.
“The delivery of this capability signifies one of the fastest initial phases of a capability acquisition in recent times and showcases the optimisation of the Australian Army in order to meet our strategic circumstances,” he said.
“This capability is yet another indication of the strength of our alliance with the United States, and their support for increasing our capability and delivering an integrated, focused force.”
The UH-60M retains the same configuration as Australia’s previous S-70A Black Hawks which entered service in 1986 and were retired in 1991, but features significantly upgraded flight control systems and avionics, and structural enhancements. Photo: ADF.
The UH-60M Black Hawk was acquired to replace the NHI MRH 90 Taipan helicopter in service. The Taipan was grounded and subsequently withdrawn from service a decade earlier than planned following a fatal crash in July 2023 which resulted in the death of four soldiers, but which has not been attributed to any fault with the aircraft.
The Taipan had been scheduled to be retired by the end of 2025 anyway following the December 2021 decision to bring forward its retirement and order the Black Hawks, but the subsequent decision to scrap all 46 remaining Taipans rather than sell or donate them to another country is yet to be adequately explained by government officials or Defence leaders.
Despite previously agreeing to an interview with Australian defence trade media to explain the decision to scrap the MRH 90s, it is understood Chief of Army LTGEN Simon Stuart has effectively since been silenced by Mr Marles’ office on the subject.
