List of Australian Army aircraft

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A Tiger helicopter
A S-70 Blackhawk (left) and CH-47 Chinook (right)

List of Australian Army aircraft is a list of all aircraft operated by the Australian Army since its formation. The Army flies helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and also unmanned aerial vehicles of various types. The Army has a diverse portfolio of lift assets including fleet of latest Chinook helicopters, 22 Tiger attack helicopters, 15 EC135 (which it shares with Navy for training), and increasing numbers UH-60. A few other types, such as leased AW139 and Bell 412 are also used. The MRH-90 fleet which was a major asset for over a dozen years was fully retired in 2023 and are in storage, and the last of the S-70 were retired in 2021. Additional UH-60 and EC135 are being acquired in the 2020s.

The MRH-90 retirement is handled in several ways, prior to retirement additional Chinooks were acquired, and prior to and after additional AW139, Bell 412, UH-60, and EC135 were ordered or leased. The Navy and Air Force have their own aircraft, and the Navy uses SH-60 Sea Hawk and ordered more.

Current

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Aircraft Origin Role Versions Year introduced No. in service[1] Notes
Boeing CH-47 Chinook  United States Transport helicopter CH-47F 10
Main article: Boeing CH-47 Chinook in Australian service

One CH-47D was destroyed during operations in Afghanistan on 30 May 2011.[2] Two additional CH-47Ds ordered in December 2011 as attrition replacement and to boost heavy lift capability.[3] The last of 7 new CH-47Fs was delivered in September 2015 and the D models subsequently retired.[4]
Eurocopter Tiger  Europe Attack helicopter Tiger ARH 2004 22
Sikorski UH-60M Blackhawk  United States Utility helicopter UH-60M Blackhawk 2023 3 (40 ordered) After reliability issues with the MRH90, in 2021 the ADF announced they would replace the MRH90 fleet with 40 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, announced the same year as the previous S-70A-9 Blackhawks were retired from service. The first 3 were delivered in 2023 after the grounding and subsequent retirement of the MRH90 fleet. The US announced an accelerated delivery timeline on the remaining 37 Blackhawks to help Australia replace the MRH90 fleet.[5]
Leaving service
Aircraft Origin Role Versions Year introduced No. in service[1] Notes
NHIndustries NH90  Europe Utility helicopter MRH90 – TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter 2007

(retired 2023)

39 (40 original. 1 destroyed in crash) The MRH-90 Taipan fleet was prematurely retired in September 2023, after a fatal crash of an MRH90 in Northern Queensland Pacific Ocean killing 4 servicemembers.[8][9] Previously in March 2023 an engine failure lead to an MRH90 ditching in the ocean off Jervis Bay.[10][11] Currently being dismantled for parts (Circa 2024)

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Aircraft Origin Role Versions Year introduced No. In service Notes
AeroVironment Wasp AE  United States SUAS – Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Wasp EA 2018 undisclosed Wasp entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation. the Wasp AE entered service with the Australian Army in 2018.[12]
Black Hornet Nano  Norway MicroUAS Squad Level Reconnaissance and surveillance PD-1000 Black Hornet 2014 undisclosed The Black Hornet entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation.
AAI RQ-7 Shadow  United States Tactical UAS Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance RQ-7B Shadow 2000 UAV 2012 18 18 aircraft. The Shadow 200 entered service in 2012 replacing the ScanEagle. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

Historic & Current

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Years In service Notes
A50 AAI Aerosonde Australia Aerosonde Mk 2 Surveillance 2003 Four aircraft. Deployed to the Solomon Islands during Operation Anode in 2003. Operated by the 131st surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery.
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle United States Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance – 2012 Obsolete, No longer operated by the Australian Army. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Elbit Systems Skylark Israel Skylark I Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army. Replaced by the Wasp EA.
Phantom (unmanned aerial vehicle series) China Phantom 4 Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance 2017– 350 aircraft


Fixed Wing Aircraft

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Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A11 Auster Mark III United Kingdom Mk III
MK V
AOP.6		 Two-seat air observation post aircraft 1944–1959 58 aircraft. Operated by the RAAF in support of the Australian Army.
A98 Cessna 180 United States Model 180A
Model 180D
Model 180E		 Two to four seat liaison, observation aircraft 1959–1975 19 aircraft
A14 Pilatus PC-6B Turbo-Porter Switzerland PC-6B Turbo Porter Eight-seat reconnaissance, light transport aircraft 1968–1992 19 aircraft
Cessna L-19 Bird Dog United States O-1 Bird Dog One or two-seat liaison, observation aircraft 1967–1968 Three aircraft on loan from the US Army. Operated by the 161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight (Australia)
Beechcraft Queen Air United States A65 Queen Air
B70 Queen Air		 1971–19?? Four aircraft. Operated by the Australian Army Survey corps
A18 GAF Nomad Australia Nomad N22B
Nomad N24A		 Two-crew twin-engine utility transport, reconnaissance aircraft, capable of carrying 11 passengers 1975–1995 22 aircraft
A32 Beechcraft Super King Air United States King Air B350 Twin-engine utility transport aircraft 1997-2009[13] 24 aircraft. Including leased civilian aircraft. 4 owned aircraft given to the RAAF in 2009.
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante Brazil EMB 100P1 Bandeirante 1995 only Four aircraft were leased from Flight West Airlines. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada DHC-6-320 Twin Otter 1996–2004 Three aircraft were leased from Hawker Pacific 1996. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
CASA C-212 Aviocar Spain C-212-400 2007-current Two aircraft leased from Skytraders since 2013 with two 212-200 formerly leased from Military Support Services.[14][15] Operated by the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School.[14]

Helicopters

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An Australian Army UH-1 Iroquois helicopter on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Historic and also current for context

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A22 Aerospatiale AS.350B Squirrel France AS.350B Squirrel Two-crew light utility, training helicopter 1990–1998 18 helicopters. Operated by the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School
A1 Bell 47 Sioux United States Model 47G-2 Sioux
Model 47G-2A Sioux
Model 47G-3B1 Sioux		 Three-seat light utility, training helicopter 1960–1977 47 helicopters
A17 Bell / CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa United States
Australia		 CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa
Model 206B-1 Kiowa
 Light observation, reconnaissance helicopter 1971–2018 64 helicopters. Including eight US built helicopters, which were leased to the Australian Army.
A2 Bell UH-1 Iroquois United States UH-1H Iroquois Multi-role utility transport helicopter 1990–2007 25 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army in 1990
A17 Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States CH-47D Chinook
CH-47F Chinook		 Twin-rotor medium-lift transport helicopter 1995-current 18 helicopters
A25 Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk United States S-70A-9 Black Hawk Four-crew multi-role battlefield support helicopter, capable of carrying 10 troops 1990-2021 39 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army.
A38 Eurocopter Tiger Europe Tiger ARH Armed reconnaissance, attack helicopter 2004-current 22 helicopters
A40 NHIndustries NH90 Europe TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter Utility transport helicopter 2007-2023 40 helicopters
Bell 412 United States
Canada		 Bell 412
 2007-current Two helicopters. Operated by the Army Aviation Training Centre[16]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
  2. ^ "Australian Chinook crashes in Afghanistan". Australian Aviation. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Defence to buy two more Chinook choppers". ninemsn. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Australian Army receives final CH-47F Chinook". Australian Aviation. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Black Hawks delivery to Australian shores accelerated". ABC News. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ Editorial, Defense Brief (1 March 2023). "Private company buys 2 more AW139 helos for lease to Australian Army". Defense Brief. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Toll Helicopters pitches WOG-RW solution - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Four missing crew members identified as search continues for military helicopter". SBS News. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Australia grounds MRH-90 helicopter fleet after crash". BBC News. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ "'Big explosion', burst of fire before ADF chopper 'sunk down' in NSW, fisherman says". ABC News. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Australia's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet is back flying after 'risk mitigation' following Jervis Bay ditching". ABC News. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. ^ Hartigan, Brian (1 June 2017). "ADF buys Wasp UAS". CONTACT magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Army seeks to lease fixed-wing aircraft - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Defence". Skytraders. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Army Constructiones Aeronauticas S A CASA 212 Aviocar". ADF-Serials. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Toll Helicopters pitches WOG-RW solution - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Retrieved 27 April 2024.

References

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  • Leoni, Ray D. (2007). Black Hawk, The Story of a World Class Helicopter. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 978-1-56347-918-2.
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