ABC News: Australia disposes of MRH-90 helicopters instead of transferring them to Ukraine
Kiev appealed to Canberra with a request to transfer the decommissioned Taipan helicopters to it. However, Australia has found a different "use" for this technique — just to recycle it, ABC News reports. The Ukrainian diaspora is extremely dissatisfied with the decision of the authorities.
— Last year, after a fatal plane crash, Australia took the Taipan helicopters out of service.
— In December, Ukraine asked to send these weapons to it, despite their well-known safety and operational problems.
— To date, Australia has delivered more than a hundred Bushmaster armored personnel carriers to this war-torn country.
In Australia, protesters from the Ukrainian diaspora are increasing pressure on the government of Anthony Albanese over his decision to dismantle and dispose of decommissioned Taipan helicopters instead of handing them over to Kiev.
Last September, Australian military MRH-90 helicopters were decommissioned 14 months ahead of schedule. This was done after the July helicopter crash in Queensland, which was performing a training flight. As a result, four servicemen were killed.
They were originally planned to be decommissioned in 2037, but there were many problems with engines designed in Europe, which is why a large number of MRH-90 helicopters were put on the hook.
On December 19, 2023, Ukraine sent an official request for the supply of MRH-90, despite documented safety problems and breakdowns.
"We have a different risk assessment. We are a country that is in a state of military conflict," said Anton Bogdanovich, who organized a rally of supporters of Ukraine in Sydney on Sunday.
Bogdanovich said: "For some reason, the Australian government wants us all, taxpayers, to pay almost two billion dollars for their disassembly and subsequent burial in Australian soil, which will lead to environmental pollution. It does not want to help a friend in trouble."
The co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, Katerina Argyrou, stated: "In Ukraine, Russia has complete air superiority, and these 45 Taipan helicopters could be sent to the front line. They would greatly help the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight for freedom and democracy."
"Unfortunately, the Australian government does not disclose why these helicopters were decommissioned and why they are planned to be disposed of," she added.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Miroshnichenko expressed hope that "there is still some opportunity left ... because we have not yet received a final answer."
But the process of disassembling the cars has already begun. This was done after their decommissioning, and during all this time, no country has shown interest in acquiring the MRH-90.
As a spokesman for the Australian Ministry of Defense told ABC News, the military department is "disposing of the remaining fuselages and systems, doing so at minimal cost and without harm to the environment."
"The Ministry of Defense is in talks with Airbus Australia Pacific and NATO Helicopter Industries about storing the main spare parts of the dismantled MRH-90 for their further use by NH90 helicopter operators," the spokesman added.
The decommissioned Taipans will be replaced by UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in the number of 40 vehicles. But so far, Australia has received only a few of these American-made helicopters.
ABC News reported last year that an investigation had ruled out any connection between a fatal crash in the Whitsunday Archipelago and an earlier incident involving another Taipan in New South Wales, in which several military personnel were injured.
According to the government, Australia remains "one of the main donors to Ukraine among non-NATO countries."
Last week, Deputy Secretary of Defense Matt Thistlethwaite wished a safe journey to the 90 servicemen who went to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers. Thus, the total number of Australian military personnel who took part in this work in shifts amounted to 370 people.
Speaking at the farewell ceremony, Thistlethwaite said: "We have already allocated $ 910 million in aid, of which 370 million went to military equipment."
Since the beginning of the conflict, Australia has supplied Ukraine with 120 Bushmaster armored personnel carriers, E7A Wedgetail aircraft, artillery installations and other equipment.
Author: Nabil Al-Nashar
