Australia suspended an important military exercise with the United States on Saturday July 29, after the crash of an Australian army helicopter whose four crew members are missing. The device, a European-made Taipan MRH-90, crashed late Friday off Hamilton Island, in the state of Queensland (northeast).
“As we speak to you, the four crew members have not yet been found,” said Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, twelve hours after the accident. The families of the missing have been notified, the minister added, saying he hoped for “better news during the day”.
Representatives of his ministry announced the suspension of Talisman Saber, where there were large-scale military maneuvers with the United States, including Japan, France, Germany and South Korea. These exercises, which involve 30,000 soldiers, entered their second week with large-scale operations: aerial maneuvers, ground combat, amphibious landings. Situations designed to test large-scale logistics, ground combat, amphibious landings and air operations, and demonstrate the strength of Western military alliances.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in Australia for meetings coinciding with the exercises. “It’s always hard when there are accidents,” Lloyd Austin said, “but the reason you train at such a high level is ultimately to be able to protect lives.”
A European helicopter source of tension in Australia
It is not yet known whether the military exercises, which are due to end on August 4, will resume. Australia is currently recomposing its armed forces, in particular by turning more to long-range strike systems, so as to be able to keep potential adversaries such as China within range.
Before this incident, Canberra had announced its intention to replace its fleet of Taipan helicopters, branded MRH90, derived from the NH90, designed by NHIndustries, a French company. This company was created by Airbus, Fokker and Leonardo, three manufacturers who still produce these devices today, 500 copies were produced for many countries.
But Australian officials have complained of having to repeatedly ground the aircraft, citing maintenance and spare parts supply difficulties. Since its entry into service, the helicopter has suffered several technical problems, which have delayed its deployment by some users. In 2022, Norway had even ended the program and demanded a full refund.
“We just haven’t gotten the flight hours we need with the Taipan. We are confident that the American-designed Black Hawks can meet our needs,” Mr. Marles said last January.
In March, a Taipan MRH-90 flying south of Sydney suffered engine failure during a nighttime training exercise, forcing the crew to ditch in the Pacific. The crew escaped with minor injuries, but the entire Taipan fleet was grounded for a month.