On 18 January, Canberra announced that it had procured 40 UH-60M Black Hawks from Sikorsky for the Australian Army. This prospective sale had first been publicized by the USA on 25 August 2022, and is worth an estimated AUD2.8 billion (USD1.96 billion) if all options are exercised.
In remarkably smart fashion, the first of the new Black Hawks (believed to be six units) will be delivered this year. The reminder will be delivered through till 2026 under this Project Land 4507 Phase 1 effort.
Major General Jeremy King, Head of Land Capability for the Australian Army, said on 18 January: ‘The Black Hawk capability will be a crucial element for us to protect Australia’s sovereignty and deliver foreign policy objects, including providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.’
King also noted that the Black Hawk ‘is a reliable, proven and mature platform supported by a robust global supply chain’. This was an oblique reference to the problems that Australia has had with its MRH90 Taipan helicopters, the fleet plagued by sustainability difficulties and high operating costs.
The MRH90 has been listed as a ‘project of concern’ since 2011. Supposed to remain in service till 2037, its final operational capability has never been declared and it has struggled to fulfil the special operations role. The arrival of the Black Hawks will allow the army to retire its entire fleet of 47 MRH90s.
As Defence Minister Richard Marles explained, ‘We have been struggling with the Taipans for many years, in terms of maintenance issues, getting spare parts. We are confident that we can get that from the Black Hawks. It’s a platform we’re familiar with, we’ve operated in different contexts before.’
Even the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency slapped down the Taipan, stating: ‘The proposed sale will replace Australia’s current multirole helicopter fleet with a more reliable and proven system that will allow Australia to maintain the appropriate level of readiness to conduct combined operations.’
The UH-60Ms will operate out of Oakey in Queensland, and Holsworthy in New South Wales. Notably, they will not be stationed at Townsville, which has hosted two battlefield
mobility squadrons of the 5th Aviation Regiment since the 1990s. That leaves only CH-47F Chinooks in Townsville.
The government had stated in December 2021 that it would be getting rid of the Taipans and exchanging them for Black Hawks under a Foreign Military Sale. Lockheed Martin Australia welcomed the government’s announcement. Warren McDonald, its Chief Executive, enthused: ‘Australia’s acquisition of the Black Hawk reinforces our nation’s enduring military interoperability with the US and allied nations. The Black Hawk will enhance future joint operations and the ongoing protection of Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.’
The Australian Army is familiar with the Black Hawk, having flown the S-70A-9 variant till all were retired in late 2021. The purchase of the UH-60Ms is immune to the outcomes of the Defence Strategic Review. There are no offset requirements attached to this transaction, and five American contractors will offer in-country support for a three-year period. Nor is there any mention of special forces MH-60G/HH-60G variants, suggesting the UH-60M will fulfil this role. Part of the contract includes internal auxiliary fuel tank systems, fast rope insertion extraction systems, external rescue hoists, dual patient litter system sets, External Stores Support Systems and external gun mounts.
It appears that the army’s need to obtain new helicopters as swiftly as possible meant it did not consider leapfrogging straight to a next-generation helicopter, something the US Army is doing with its Future Vertical Lift program.
The MRH90’s annual sustainment cost has doubled to approximately AUD300 million (USD209 million). If a midlife upgrade had been factored in, it would have cost the Australian Army some AUD9.5 billion to keep the Taipans operating till their life of type expires. In light of this, the Black Hawk deal’s price tag looks quite attractive
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