MRH 90 Arrives

Prior to the official proceedings both MRH 90s, A40-002 ‘Navy’ and -003 ‘Army’, performed a flypast over the Australian Aerospace complex before landing and being towed into position outside closed hangar doors for a formal ‘reveal’.

Accompanying the MRH 90s on display were two Army ASLAVs and the newest pair of Tiger ARHs soon to be delivered, A38-011 and -012.

“The MRH 90 will provide our sailors and soldiers with a new troop lift helicopter designed for the demands of modern combat operations over land and from ships at sea,” MAJGEN Tony Fraser, head of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO)’s Helicopter Systems Division, said during the formal ceremony.

“The acceptance of the first two MRH 90 helicopters is a critical milestone in this project and is a tangible result of the extensive work done by many contractors and project personnel in a tight timeframe. ” Twelve of the fly-by-wire, all-composite construction MRH 90s were ordered by Defence (ahead of the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk) in August 2004 under Air 9000 Phase 2. They were to form an additional troop lift helicopter squadron to bolster Australia’s counter-terrorism capabilities by releasing a Black Hawk squadron to provide dedicated support to a special forces unit now based at Holsworthy, Sydney.

In June 2006 an additional 34 MRH 90s were ordered under Air 9000 Phases 4 and 6 to replace Army’s then 35 (now 34) Black Hawks and Navy’s six Sea Kings.

The MRH 90 features a low observable shaped cross section fuselage with acoustic, radar and infrared signature reduction characteristics. Its cabin can seat up to 20 troops on crash-worthy seats or carry 12 stretcher patients, and has a rear-loading ramp for troop or vehicle access.

Australia’s MRH 90s are powered by two RTM 322-01/9 turboshafts with FADEC, turning four composite blades with a titanium rotor hub.

The helicopters are fitted with a forward looking infrared vision system, TopOwl helmet-mounted sight and display system (as fitted on Army’s Tiger ARHs), weather radar, digital moving map display, an obstacle warning system, a self defence suite of electronic support measures including counter measures dispensing system and missile approach warning system, interfaced with a tactical data system via dual MIL-STD 1553 avionics data buses.

The cockpit features armoured flightcrew seats and four 20 x 20cm LCD screens with the provision for a fifth centre screen.

The first two of four MRH 90s assembled at Eurocopter’s facility at Marignane, France, arrived in Australia on board a chartered Antonov An-124 on November 13. Both helicopters were reassembled and flew between three and five hours of test flights to ready them for the ISD.

The remaining two Frenchbuilt MRH 90s, A40-001 and -004, will arrive in Australia mid-year following the completion of certification trials currently being flown by Eurocopter at Marignane.

The first of 42 Australian assembled MRH 90s, A40‑005, one of four currently on the production line at Australian Aerospace in Brisbane, is scheduled for delivery to the DMO on December 17 this year.

Initial operational capability (IOC) for Australia’s MRH 90s is expected to occur first for Navy in 2010 and then for Army by 2011.

When fully delivered, the 46 MRH 90s will be operated by Army’s A Squadron based at RAAF Townsville, Queensland, 171 Aviation Squadron at Holsworthy Barracks, and Navy’s 817 Squadron based at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. A small number will also be based at a joint MRH 90 training facility located at the Army Aviation Training Centre at Oakey, Queensland.

The Army’s and Navy’s helicopters will be operated from a common pool, and so will all wear the tan, olive and black camouflage paint scheme.

In March -002 and -003 will fly to Townsville to begin a period of test and evaluation, training and development.

The MRH 90 ISD ceremony was also Joseph Saporito’s final official duty as Australian Aerospace’s CEO before taking up a new role as executive vice president – commercial programs, at Eurocopter’s headquarters in Marignane.

Jens Goennemann, previously the head of the EADS chief executive’s office in Munich, Germany, assumed the CEO position in early January.