The options will still be subject to Government consideration once all the relevant information is available. “The Australian Government is exercising its right to understand what options are available to provide the necessary capability at a reasonable cost into the future,” Minister Dutton said. The UH60M is the latest version and has been in service with the US Army and other nations for over a decade. The UH60 Black Hawk is the most widely used utility helicopter variant in the world. To support the development of detailed options, the Australian Government has requested information from the United States Government on the UH-60M Black Hawk as an alternative platform to the MRH90 Taipan. For the most part, however, Taiwan functions as an independent country with its own capital city, currency, and economy. The People’s Republic of China officially claims Taiwan as part of its territory. “It is critically important there is a safe, reliable and capable utility helicopter available for our service men and women into the future, with reasonable and predictable operating costs.” Taiwan is an island off the coast of mainland China with a population of nearly 24 million. Taiwan is approximately 36,197 square kilometers (13,976 square miles) in area and 23.78 million people. Its de facto capital, Taipei, serves as the seat of government and is the island's largest metropolitan area. “The performance of the MRH90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for Defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try to remediate those issues,” Minister Dutton said. Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China (RoC), is a multi-island territory in the western Pacific Ocean. ![]() The MRH90 helicopter fleet has not met contracted availability requirements nor the expected cost of ownership ahead of its planned withdrawal from service in 2037. This includes humanitarian aid and disaster relief domestically and in the Indo-Pacific region, and to support our troops in combat operations,” Minister Dutton said. ![]() “Defence uses its helicopters to support a range of operations. ![]() Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP said the MRH90 Taipan is currently used by the Australian Army as its utility helicopter, including support to Special Operations, and provides a maritime support capability for the Royal Australian Navy. The Morrison Government has taken steps to strengthen the Australian Army’s helicopter capability by formally requesting advice from the United States Government on the acquisition of up to 40 UH-60 Black Hawk to potentially replace the MRH90 Taipan helicopter.
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