Australia to Get First US Black Hawk Helicopters This Year
- Canberra will buy 40 of the aircraft for about $2.1 billion
- Black Hawks set to replace trouble-prone Taipan fleet
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The first helicopters in Australia’s new fleet of US-designed Black Hawks will arrive by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said, further strengthening security ties between Canberra and Washington.
The purchase of 40 Black Hawk helicopters for about A$3 billion ($2.1 billion) was confirmed by Australia’s Department of Defence on Wednesday. Marles, who is also the defence minister, said the new aircraft would replace Australia’s Taipan choppers, which have seen repeated maintenance issues in recent years.