Ukraine Urges Australia to Donate Troubled Taipan Helicopter Fleet
February 18by Daniel Jack
Following long-term safety concerns and cost considerations, the Australian government has grounded and planned the early retirement of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter. This decision was prompted by a fatal crash on July 28, 2023, which tragically resulted in the deaths of the four crew members on board.
In light of the grounding and plans to retire the taipan helicopter, an announcement was made on September 29, that the fleet will not be returning to flying operations before their planned withdrawal date.
Upon learning about the retirement of the Taipans, the Ukrainian Government officially submitted a request on December 17, expressing their desire to utilize these helicopters in their war against Russia.
In the letter, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov acknowledged the challenges faced by the Australian Defense Force (ADF) with the Taipan but proposed solutions to mitigate these issues. He further elaborated on how Ukraine could leverage these helicopters to save lives through medical evacuation (MedEvac) operations from the front lines.
But despite Australia’s previous support of Ukraine’s fight against Russia, the Government officially rejected their request, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy commenting said:
“That request came three months after the disposal strategy began, three months after these aircraft were grounded, three months after maintenance ceased on these aircraft.”
However, with new information emerging, this claim appears to be dubious. At a Northern Alliance Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting held in October 2023, Ukrainian officials expressed their interest in the Taipan helicopters to Senator Fawcett – a senior member of the Opposition and the Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade. Upon his return to Canberra, Senator Fawcett informed the government about Ukraine’s interest in the Taipan.
This new information would imply the Government would have known of Ukraine’s interest the month after their announcement.
The decision to destroy the taipans instead of donating them is leaving some Australians perplexed and sorrowful and has caused protests in Sydney.
While some Taipans may no longer be airworthy, some may still be capable of being re-assembled and sent to Ukraine. It is yet to be seen if the Australian Government will change their mind and give the Ukrainians any of the Taipans.
