Australia to dump EU helicopters for US Black Hawks
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Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton says the army and navy will dump 47 Taipan helicopters.
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The ADF's Taipan Helicopter
The Australian Defense Force announced that it will be replacing its fleet of EU Taipan helicopters with 40 US Black Hawks and 12 Seahawks.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said that the Army and Navy will dump 47 Taipan helicopters that have been operational since 2007, whose maintenance has cost Australia's Defense Ministry over $5 billion.
Australia had announced in September that it will cancel its 2016 submarine deal with France's Naval Group, opting instead to purchase eight US nuclear submarines, sparking the AUKUS row.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Australian PM Scott Morrison defended the decision and claimed Australia’s Taipan fleet did not meet the ADF’s requirements.
“The Taipans weren’t meeting their marks. Simple as that,” he confirmed.
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A Seahawk helicopter approaches the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Feburary 18, 2018 (Source: US Navy photo)
AUKUS and China
Meanwhile, the Australian defense minister explicitly spoke of the “growing threat” posed by China as he discussed the decision to replace the trouble-plagued MRH90 Taipan helicopters, which were originally due to be withdrawn in 2037.
Dutton last month called in "inconceivable" that Australia wouldn't "come to Taiwan's aid" if the US were to "defend Taiwan" against a "Chinese invasion."
Following the cancellation of the €36.5 billion (AUD $50 billion) deal made between Australia and the "Naval Group," France's Foreign minister expressed his anger over what he identified as a betrayal.
"It's really a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed," Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info radio.
