 | Fleet Air Arm |
| Fleet Air Arm |
Updated 29 April 2011
The high-level review of the MRH-90 helicopter project has recommended that Defence work with the contractor, Australian Aerospace, to develop a plan to improve the availability of the helicopters by addressing engineering and reliability issues.
The project has suffered delays of 12 months for the Navy's helicopters and 18 months for the Army's helicopters. To date, 13 machines have been accepted by Defence and are currently being used for testing and initial crew training.
The project will be the subject of a further review later this year to check the effectiveness of the action taken and to decide if further action is necessary.
The initial review was ordered in February to address delays to the project due to a series of key issues including engine failure, transmission oil cooler fan failures and the poor availability of spares.
The project is providing a replacement for the Navy's ageing Sea King helicopters and the Army's Black Hawks. On order are 46 MRH-90s for the Navy and Army fleets.
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