US Approves Selling 12 Attack Helicopters to Australia
After forming AUKUS, the US State Department announced the government's approval to sell Australia 12 attack helicopters and an electronic warfare aircraft.
The US State Department announced on Friday that the US government has decided to sell 12 attack helicopters and an electronic warfare plane to Australia for more than a billion dollars.
Australia, which recently signed a strategic defense alliance with the US and UK, had asked to buy 12 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and accompanying equipment to the tune of $985 million, in addition to a Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare plane.
President Joe Biden's administration has informed Congress it decided to go ahead with the deal.
The State Department said that Australia is one of the US' "most important allies in the Western Pacific," adding "It is vital to the US national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability."
The military pact announced last month that the US, UK, and Australia will see the latter obtain US nuclear-powered submarines and at the same time cancel a huge contract with France for conventional submarines.
Australia already has 24 Seahawk helicopters and around 10 Growler planes. The helicopters are multi-mission aircraft that can be deployed on a ship for operations against surface vessels or submarines, but also for rescue, refueling, or transport purposes.