Opinion and Comments

In this section of the magazine, our contributors offer their thoughts and insights into industry issues that matter most to them. In this issue, Jake Nelson asks whether air taxis by the Brisbane Games are just pie in the sky, Steve Kuper cautions against junking Australia’s fleet of C-27J Spartans too early, and Robert Dougherty examines whether Defence’s retiring Tiger helicopters could be put to new use as autonomous aircraft.

“Retire the wrong capability and you do not just save money; you create a hole.”

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“The successful integration of electric air taxis into urban and rural environments hinges on their ability to offer safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation.”

 “Retiring the C-27J Spartan fleet feels like a false economy. The aircraft may not be glamorous, but they are precisely the kind of practical, flexible capability that turns strategy into effect.”

 

 “It’s already forecast that international rivals and allies are exploring the use of outdated military vehicles being fitted with uncrewed guidance systems.”