THE Australian military refused to transfer its retired MHR-90 Taipan helicopters after it was linked to a series of deadly crashes in recent years.
The 45 Taipan MRH-90 aircraft were permanently grounded since September last year after getting involved in a deadly crash that killed four defense personnel during a training exercise in Queensland.
The troubled fleet was supposed to retire from service in 2037 but the history of accidents and safety concerns resulted in fleet-wide groundings over the years.
Despite safety and operational concerns, Ukraine made an official request on December 19, 2023, for Australia to hand over the troubled aircraft so it could be used in its war with Russia.
Australian Minister for Defense Industry Pat Conroy defended the military’s decision stating that the current disposal strategy for the retired Taipan fleet offers ‘best value for money for Australian taxpayers’.
According to Conroy, the Defense Department attempted to find potential buyers for the troubled fleet’s airframes but unfortunately, no one took interest.
As a result, the military decided to disassemble the aircraft and bury them at a defense site while selling the spare parts which the minister said is the best value for taxpayers’ money.
The other option is to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain the aircraft without certainty it will return to service in the future.
Nearly a dozen other safety incidents have been linked to the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters besides the fatal crash in Queensland in July 2023.
Protesters particularly those from the Ukrainian community plan to hold a rally on Sunday to protest against the federal government’s decision not to send the troubled fleet to Ukraine.
