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Artist illustration of a Sikorsky SH-608 Seahawk. The US Navy plans to acquire 200 Seahawks over the next decade
The Helicopter Quandary
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On a sunny summer’s morning in December 1981, Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Adelaide will steam quietly into Australian waters. This will be the first of four Oliver Hazard Perry-class FFG guided missile frigates and most probably the first of upwards of ten such fighting ships of this design.
The primary armament of the Adelaide comprises the latest in surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles in addition to the OTO Melara 76 mm rapid-firing gun. Backing up this visually unimpressive but technically lethal combination will be two medium-sized helicopters fully capable of attacking over the horizon surface and sub-surface targets, thereby greatly increasing the lethality of the FFG.
However, HMAS Adelaide, and her three immediate successors (Canberra, Sydney and Darwin) will be operating for a considerable period without helicopter support and will thus lose much of their sting through having to rely upon purely ship-based weapon systems. Furthermore, the Minister has stated that a definitive helicopter choice will not be made in the foreseeable future, probably not till 1982 at the earliest. Thus, even if a decision is made in 1982, an operational helicopter unit could not be deployed till 1985 of 1986 at the earliest. Also, considering that the decision to purchase the FFGs was made in 1976 why has it taken so long to get to the stage where the best the Minister can do is to suggest that a decision on type will not be made for at least another eighteen months?
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