Two ex-United States Army helicopters have been handed over to the ADF (photo : Aus DoD)
Minister for
Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today
announced that two additional CH-47D Chinook helicopters have been handed over
to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Townsville.
The Chinook
provides the ADF with an outstanding battlefield lift capability and has
provided excellent service to Army for more than 25 years.
The purchase
of the two ex-United States Army helicopters was approved by Government last
November following the loss of a CH-47D Chinook on operations in Afghanistan in
May 2011.
The CH-47D
Chinook undertakes a wide range of missions, including troop movement,
battlefield equipment transport, search and rescue and disaster relief roles.
These two
aircraft will allow Army to more effectively manage its training and
operational support programs whilst continuing to support continued operations
in Afghanistan.
The Chinooks
have been deployed on Operation Slipper in Afghanistan since 2006.
They have
performed an outstanding service for both ADF and ISAF forces and are in high
demand across Afghanistan due to its superior performance in hot and high
altitude conditions.
The handover
of the aircraft to Army marks the culmination of many thousands of hours of
work by the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and Defence Industry. DMO has
been supported by a range of Australian companies to achieve the delivery of
these aircraft to Army on schedule and to budget.
Companies
such as Nova Defence, Townsville’s BAE Systems, Flying Colours Aviation and
Columbia Helicopter Incorporated have helped support the successful delivery of
these aircraft.
The CH-47D
fleet will be replaced with seven new CH-47F Chinook helicopters from around
2016.
On Friday,
22 Jun 2012, an Australian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter suffered a hard
landing during combat support operations at a Coalition force patrol base in
Kandahar province. It does not appear
the hard landing was the result of enemy fire.
The cause of
the accident will be investigated.
Due to the
damage to the aircraft, it may not return to service prior to the end of July
when the current CH-47 rotation in Afghanistan is due to complete
operations. A decision will be made as
to the most cost-effective location for repairs, which could result in
returning the aircraft to Australia.
(Aus DoD)
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