Airforces

US Army soldiers provide defence for

an Australian Army CH-47F helicopter

from the 5th Aviation Regiment

during a loading drill as part of

Exercise Hamel 2016 at Port Pirie

in South Australia. CPL Dan Pinhorn/

Commonwealth of Australia

68 // FEBRUARY 2018 #359 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

Force

Report

there is no technical support
squadron within the regiment.
“The regiment provides air
mobility and battlefield support
to land and special forces in a
combined, joint or interagency
environment in order to defeat
attacks against Australia and
assist in the defence of Australia’s
security interests,” the army
spokesperson detailed.
Previously, the 173rd Squadron
flew the Kiowa and, before that,
the King Air 350, but the King Airs
were transferred to the RAAF at
the end of 2009 and all Kiowa
operations have been consolidated
within the army aviation training
system at Oakey. Today the 173rd
Squadron fulfils the Black Hawk
training functions, allowing the
171st Squadron to concentrate
on the operational CT role.
The Black Hawks are nearing
the end of their operational
lives but delays to the Taipan
programme and the realisation
that the newer helicopter, although
superior in many ways, cannot
fulfil all the roles currently flown,
has delayed its retirement.
To partially redress the problems,
the planned withdrawal date
(PWD) for the Black Hawk has
been pushed back until 2022, at
which point it will be replaced
by the MRH90, but there are
also plans to acquire a light
deployable helicopter in the future.

S-70A-9 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black
Hawk was selected as the
replacement for the UH-1H in

Amphibious operations

Australia’s army is currently transitioning from a

traditional land army to an amphibious organisation,

capable of projecting force over the beachhead.

The amphibious capability is made possible by the recent

entry to service of the RAN’s two 28,000-tonne Canberra-

class LHDs, HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide, together

with the Bay-class landing ship HMAS Choules.

In 2015 the Taipan underwent an intensive period

of flight trials aboard HMAS Canberra as part of the

certification of an Amphibious Ready Element (ARE),

with the rotary-wing component largely based around

the MRH90s of A Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment.

In March 2016, HMAS Canberra deployed to Fiji as part

of the Australian government’s humanitarian aid and

disaster relief (HADR) response to Cyclone Winston.

Four army Taipans were airlifted to Fiji aboard RAAF C-17A

transports and three RAN examples were embarked aboard

HMAS Canberra for the journey. Over several weeks of

operations, the seven aircraft flew more than 500 hours and

carried over 200 tonnes of supplies and 1,800 people.

First-of-class trials with two C Squadron/5 AVN REGT

CH-47Fs were conducted aboard HMAS Adelaide between

August and October 2016. Over the seven-week period,

cold and hot weather trials were undertaken, beginning

in Tasmanian waters and concluding with Adelaide’s

participation on Exercise Kakadu off Darwin. During the

period, 119 hours and 625 deck landings were carried out.

“The data will facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive

suite of enduring operating limits for the Chinook,” explained

Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer. “It

will provide a significant capability for Australia’s amphibious

forces in ship-to-object manoeuvres and HADR operations.”

First-of-class trials with the Tiger ARH began aboard

HMAS Canberra in early 2017, but problems with

the propulsion system of both of the RAN’s LHDs

led to these being postponed to a later date.

A CH-47F flies past an MRH90

waiting on the deck of HMAS

‘Adelaide’, during first-of-

class flight trials near Port

Arthur, Tasmania in August

2016. POIS Paul McCallum/
      Commonwealth of Australia

Australian Army Aviation Corps