Thu, Mar 29, 2007
46 Troop Transports Destined For MoD
Australia's Ministry of Defense told ANN the first of
Australia's 46 MRH-90 transport helicopters conducted its maiden
flight in Marignane, France on Thursday morning. The aircraft flew
for 1.5 hours, and the MoD states the Eurocopter test crew was
"delighted" with its performance.
The first four MRH-90s -- a variant of the EADS/NH Industries
NH-90 twin-engine, troop-lift helicopter (shown above) -- are
scheduled for delivery to Australia by the end of 2007. The first
fuselage of the 42 aircraft to be assembled in Australia arrived in
Brisbane on March 27.
The Australian government announced the acquisition of 12
MRH-90s helicopters for Army in August 2004, to bolster Australia's
counter terrorism capabilities. The original intent behind the
purchase was to allow the redeployment of a Blackhawk squadron to
provide dedicated support for Australian Special Forces on the east
coast.
In June 2006, the Government announced the acquisition of an
additional 34 MRH-90s -- to replace Army's Blackhawks and Navy's
Sea Kings, both based on Sikorsky's UH-60 helo. The project value
for the total acquisition of 46 aircraft is around $4.2
billion.
The project includes a $1.2 billion Australian Industry
Capability package, that focuses on state of the art composite
construction, avionics, turbine engine assembly and maintenance,
and ongoing software support.
The project also includes the construction of new or upgraded
facilities in Townsville, Oakey, Nowra and Holsworthy.
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]