The Australian Army will ditch its European-made Taipan helicopter fleet early, with Labor confirming they will be replaced by a multi-billion-dollar purchase of American-made Black Hawks.
On Wednesday the government will announce it will acquire 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian Army for an estimated $2.8 billion.
Australia first requested to buy the helicopters in mid-2022, to "replace Australia's current multi-role helicopter fleet" with "a more reliable and proven system", according to a Defence Security Cooperation Agency release in August 2022.
The head of land capability for the army, Major General Jeremy King CSM, said the UH-60M Black Hawks would meet the country's strategic needs.
"The Black Hawk capability will be a crucial element for us to protect Australia's sovereignty, and deliver foreign policy objects, including providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," he said.
"The Black Hawk will support the deployment of our troops and their equipment where they are needed in times of crisis.
"The Black Hawk is a reliable, proven and mature platform supported by a robust global supply chain.
"This acquisition will mean we can continue to defend Australia and respond in times of need in a safe and effective way for years to come."
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the short answer to why the government was switching was Australia had not got the flying hours with the Taipans that it needed.
"We have been struggling with the Taipans for many years, in terms of maintenance issues, getting spare parts," he said.
"We are confident that we can get that from the Black Hawks. It's a platform we're familiar with, we've operated in different contexts before."
The Black Hawks will operate out of Oakey in Queensland and Holsworthy in NSW, with their delivery set to begin in 2023.
In December 2021 then-defence minister Peter Dutton announced the army would ditch its entire fleet of troubled European-designed Taipan helicopters a decade earlier than scheduled.
At the time, the army had 41 Taipans in service, operating out of Townsville and Oakey, and had spent more than $37 million to hire civilian helicopters to maintain its capability while it dealt with long-running problems.
