Add Category
The federal government has formally rejected a request from Ukraine to access Australia's fleet of the now-retired Taipan helicopters.
Key points:
- The federal government has rejected Ukraine's request for Australia's retired MHR-90 Taipan helicopters
- The government says none of the aircraft are in "flying condition" and are being dismantled
- The Taipans were retired in September 2023 following a number of incidents
The 45 Taipan MRH-90 aircraft were retired last year after a crash in Queensland that killed four Defence personnel during a training exercise.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said there are no Taipans that are currently in "flying condition".
"To get any up to flying condition would require a huge investment in taxpayers' funds, time and resources to do that," he said.
The aircraft are currently being dismantled and prepared to be buried at a defence site.
After the fleet was grounded, Mr Conroy said the Defence Department worked with Airbus and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Helicopter Industries for a potential buyer of the air frames.
But he said there was "zero interest" at that time, after which a decision was made to disassemble the aircraft and sell any spare parts.
Mr Conroy said the government received the Ukraine request shortly before Christmas last year.
"That request came in three months after the disposal strategy began, three months after these aircraft were grounded, three months after maintenance ceased on these aircraft," Mr Conroy said.
The investigation into the deadly crash is still ongoing.
Mr Conroy defended the decision and said the government would look for other ways to continue providing support, and had offered a briefing to Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
Retired Army Major General Mick Ryan called it a "scandalous" decision.
"Rushing to bury useable helicopters rather than transferring them to a nation fighting for its life is shameful and a national embarrassment," he said in a statement on X.
Next month will mark the two-year anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the government maintains it's one of the largest non-NATO contributors to Ukraine's resistance.
"We've provided $910 million worth of assistance, including $730 million of military assistance," Mr Conroy said.
"The Australian government continues to work closely with Ukraine to consider further options to provide timely, meaningful, and sustainable assistance."
Troubled history
The MRH-90 fleet have been grounded multiple times.
Last July's crash killed four crew – Captain Daniel Lyonn, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
In March 2023, the fleet was also grounded after an incident when 10 ADF personnel were forced to ditch the aircraft into waters at Jervis Bay, on the New South Wales south coast.
Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed in late September last year that the Taipans would not return to flying operations, approximately 15 months before their planned withdrawal date.
They are being replaced by 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the United States, but so far only a handful have arrived.
Loading