Yes I was one , the Army massively miscalculated with technicians, when the Navy lost the carrier and the fixed wing about 75 % jumped to the Air Force and some to the Army , the Army assumed when the Helo's went to the Army the techo's would follow , but most of us had years of working with Army with Iroquois, Chinooks and Black Hawks and the last thing most of us wanted was to be Army, because the numbers they expected to xfer never happened it meant RAAF personnel were at Army units for up to the next 5 or so years and the Army had to train more guys up than expected and experience level dropped accordingly.
Of interest in the early 90's a group from Army HQ Postings and promotions came to 5 Avn, to talk to techo's out of interest they asked the hypothetical question if the Helo's went back to the RAAF who would go , the whole room stuck their hand up, not the response they expected.
I was 9 Sqn RAAF (Iroquois & Black Hawks) and 12 Sqn Chinooks , then 5 Avn (still RAAF) , I did Army Reserve when I got out of RAAF at 5 Avn.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/n...om-afghanistan

Meanwhile, the Australian’s complain about door size and lack of door gun. The photo, in the linked article, would tend to indicate that the complaints are misdirected. Did Oz deploy Blackhawks to Afghanistan, like the French and Germans deployed their NH-90’s to Afghanistan and Mali?

Nope… just like they did not deploy their Tigers to Afghanistan or Mali or Libya which the French, Germans and Spanish did as well…. But it’s all the fault of the airframes…. They are simply not good enough..🤔

Just announced Australia to dump MRH-90 and buy Black Hawks
After more than 11 years of trying to make them work and extending the retirement date of the S-70A-9 Black Hawk multiple times because of MRH-90 faults the ADF has finally had enough and announced the purchase of 40 new build UH-60M's to replace the MRH-90 .

Good result, but disgraceful that such a procurement was permitted to be made, wasting so many taxpayer dollars...

Good point Ned. A bad tradesman blames his tools!!

Watch as Australia gets another capable helicopter and struggles to do anything with it. Although this is what the ADF wanted the whole time so maybe they will put effort into making it a success rather than whinging (no offence to the guys and girls who did their best with the MRH to try and make it succeed).

The “it’s not a Blackhawk” whiny crowd get a win at Billions. Yes, NH is a cottage industry and going forward in the current strategic environment and MUMT technology, buying US is a must. With all the kit the Australian’s had, they only deployed a couple of Chinooks into 1 theatre of the GWOT in 20 years. Imagine if the UK or France or Canada were so risk averse.

it’s funny how many other nations just ‘get in with it’ and you never hear anything. Oman has 18, for instance. France deploys to West Africa on operations (Tiger too). Italy deployed to Afghanistan. Etc…..

True though France Italy and Germany as principal partners in the making of NH90 get spares first and foremost. Others have very poor serviceability records. Take Norway or Belgium as examples. Also look how many engineering and support staff Germany have sent to Gao in Mail to support 3 airframes for medevac replacing a civilian EC225 that carried twice as many stretchers….

Australia shared an AO with the Dutch, who had already deployed their Apaches. The South was very hot n high, not sure how the MRH90 would have fared performance wise out of TK, just as the UK never deployed the Puma to Helmand.

As you raised Mali, if the MRH90 has it covered, can they send the UK chinooks back?

Deliveries continue
 

Aeronavale received their 27h NFH



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ffb8a8798d.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c1a37beeac.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....fbace41ce4.jpg
Think the Qataris should be next as their first one flew last year at Leonardo Cacina Costa or Verigiate.

cheers

Incredible, oh wait - no it’s not, that other nations can make the same aircraft operate successfully, deploy them to real operations and the Australians can’t. It’s embarrassing, but that’s ok, the Australians now have a General in command to run the equivalent of a US Regiment. I don’t begrudge the purchase of off the shelf common equipment in the current APAC strategic situation however, at least be honest.

As the Dutch Pumas have operated there as well if I recall, the NH90 could have as well… same for the Tiger (which the French operated out of Kabul which was even higher…. As for Chinooks… can’t compare a Chinook with an NH90 or a Blackhawk… that’s why the USArmy has both of them as well. So I assume both have their own roles/missions in Mali or simply complement each other.

Id suggest you don’t quite know what you’re talking about. The Dutch cougars were at Kandahar not TK and never moved - weeds growing out fo the wheels. I’m not even sure the crews were in country.

Yes Kabul is higher, it’s also much cooler.

Incorrect on the Dutchies not doing anything and yes their crews were in country. Regularly shot pics of them coming and going from Kandahar on my various trips.


by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145429735@N02/, on Flickr

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145429735@N02/, on Flickr

Never saw them airborne in numerous years of parking next to them Ned, I think you did well snapping them. Also being airborne and providing a capability are two very different things.

They were plenty airborne… you can find a lot of articles in Dutch language. Here’s one in English:
https://m.reliefweb.int/report/22891...ictims?lang=fr

Totally agree on that - the crews I flew with hated working with them as the Aussies were flying around at 50ft, the US anywhere between 0-200ft and the Dutchies at about 10,000ft :) :)

Which is quite smart considering the threat level there…. Big advantage: you can see a lot more! 😃