This is a list of all aircraft operated by the Australian Army since its formation.

Current

A Tiger helicopter
A S-70 Blackhawk (left) and CH-47 Chinook (right)
Aircraft Origin Role Versions Year introduced No. in service[1] Notes
Boeing CH-47 Chinook  United States Transport helicopter CH-47F 10
One CH-47D was destroyed during operations in Afghanistan on 30 May 2011.[2] Two additional CH-47Ds ordered in December 2011 as attrition replacement and to boost heavy lift capability.[3] The last of 7 new CH-47Fs was delivered in September 2015 and the D models subsequently retired.[4]
Eurocopter Tiger  Europe Attack helicopter Tiger ARH 2004 22
Sikorski UH-60M Blackhawk  United States Utility Helicopter UH-60M Blackhawk 2023 3 (40 ordered) After reliability issues with the MRH90, in 2021 the ADF announced they would replace the MRH90 fleet with 40 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, announced the same year as the previous S-70A-9 Blackhawks were retired from service. The first 3 were delivered in 2023 after the grounding and subsequent retirement of the MRH90 fleet. The US announced an accelerated delivery timeline on the remaining 37 Blackhawks to help Australia replace the MRH90 fleet.[5]
NHIndustries NH90  Europe Utility helicopter MRH90 – TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter 2007

(retired 2023)

 39 (40 original. 1 destroyed in crash) The MRH90 fleet was prematurely retired in September 2023, after a fatal crash of an MRH90 in Northern Queensland Pacific Ocean killing 4 servicemembers.[6][7] Previously in March 2023 an engine failure lead to an MRH90 ditching in the ocean off Jervis Bay.[8][9]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Aircraft Origin Role Versions Year introduced No. In service Notes
AeroVironment Wasp AE  United States SUAS – Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance Wasp EA 2018 undisclosed Wasp entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation. the Wasp AE entered service with the Australian Army in 2018.[10]
Black Hornet Nano  Norway MicroUAS Squad Level Reconnaissance and surveillance PD-1000 Black Hornet 2014 undisclosed The Black Hornet entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation.
AAI RQ-7 Shadow  United States Tactical UAS Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance RQ-7B Shadow 2000 UAV 2012 18 18 aircraft. The Shadow 200 entered service in 2012 replacing the ScanEagle. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

Historic

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Years In service Notes
A50 AAI AerosondeAustraliaAerosonde Mk 2Surveillance2003Four aircraft. Deployed to the Solomon Islands during Operation Anode in 2003. Operated by the 131st surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery.
Boeing Insitu ScanEagleUnited StatesReconnaissance and battlefield surveillance– 2012Obsolete, No longer operated by the Australian Army. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Elbit Systems SkylarkIsraelSkylark IReconnaissance and battlefield surveillanceObsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army. Replaced by the Wasp EA.
Phantom (unmanned aerial vehicle series)ChinaPhantom 4Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance2017–350 aircraft
An Australian Army UH-1 Iroquois helicopter on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Fixed Wing Aircraft

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A11 Auster Mark IIIUnited KingdomMk III
MK V
AOP.6		Two-seat air observation post aircraft1944–195958 aircraft. Operated by the RAAF in support of the Australian Army.
A98 Cessna 180United StatesModel 180A
Model 180D
Model 180E		Two to four seat liaison, observation aircraft1959–197519 aircraft
A14 Pilatus PC-6B Turbo-PorterSwitzerlandPC-6B Turbo PorterEight-seat reconnaissance, light transport aircraft1968–199219 aircraft
Cessna L-19 Bird DogUnited StatesO-1 Bird DogOne or two-seat liaison, observation aircraft1967–1968Three aircraft on loan from the US Army. Operated by the 161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight (Australia)
Beechcraft Queen AirUnited StatesA65 Queen Air
B70 Queen Air		1971–19??Four aircraft. Operated by the Australian Army Survey corps
A18 GAF NomadAustraliaNomad N22B
Nomad N24A		Two-crew twin-engine utility transport, reconnaissance aircraft, capable of carrying 11 passengers1975–199522 aircraft
A32 Beechcraft Super King AirUnited StatesKing Air B350Twin-engine utility transport aircraft1997-2009[11]24 aircraft. Including leased civilian aircraft. 4 owned aircraft given to the RAAF in 2009.
Embraer EMB 110 BandeiranteBrazilEMB 100P1 Bandeirante1995 onlyFour aircraft were leased from Flight West Airlines. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterCanadaDHC-6-320 Twin Otter1996–2004Three aircraft were leased from Hawker Pacific 1996. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia)
CASA C-212 AviocarSpainC-212-4002007-currentTwo aircraft leased from Skytraders since 2013 with two 212-200 formerly leased from Military Support Services.[12][13] Operated by the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School.[12]

Helicopters

Aircraft type Origin Variant Role Service period Notes
A22 Aerospatiale AS.350B SquirrelFranceAS.350B SquirrelTwo-crew light utility, training helicopter1990–199818 helicopters. Operated by the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School
A1 Bell 47 SiouxUnited StatesModel 47G-2 Sioux
Model 47G-2A Sioux
Model 47G-3B1 Sioux		Three-seat light utility, training helicopter1960–197747 helicopters
A17 Bell / CAC CA-32, OH-58A KiowaUnited States
Australia		CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa
Model 206B-1 Kiowa
Light observation, reconnaissance helicopter1971–201864 helicopters. Including eight US built helicopters, which were leased to the Australian Army.
A2 Bell UH-1 IroquoisUnited StatesUH-1H IroquoisMulti-role utility transport helicopter1990–200725 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army in 1990
A17 Boeing CH-47 ChinookUnited StatesCH-47D Chinook
CH-47F Chinook		Twin-rotor medium-lift transport helicopter1995-current18 helicopters
A25 Sikorsky S-70 BlackhawkUnited StatesS-70A-9 Black HawkFour-crew multi-role battlefield support helicopter, capable of carrying 10 troops1990-202139 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army.
A38 Eurocopter TigerEuropeTiger ARHArmed reconnaissance, attack helicopter2004-current22 helicopters
A40 NHIndustries NH90EuropeTTH: Tactical Transport HelicopterUtility transport helicopter2007-current40 helicopters
Bell 412United States
Canada		Bell 412
AB 412		2007-currentTwo helicopters. Operated by the Army Aviation Training Centre

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
  2. ↑ "Australian Chinook crashes in Afghanistan". Australian Aviation. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  3. ↑ "Defence to buy two more Chinook choppers". ninemsn. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  4. ↑ "Australian Army receives final CH-47F Chinook". Australian Aviation. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Black Hawks delivery to Australian shores accelerated". ABC News. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Four missing crew members identified as search continues for military helicopter". SBS News. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Australia grounds MRH-90 helicopter fleet after crash". BBC News. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "'Big explosion', burst of fire before ADF chopper 'sunk down' in NSW, fisherman says". ABC News. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Australia's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet is back flying after 'risk mitigation' following Jervis Bay ditching". ABC News. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ↑ Hartigan, Brian (1 June 2017). "ADF buys Wasp UAS". CONTACT magazine. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Army seeks to lease fixed-wing aircraft - Australian Defence Magazine". www.australiandefence.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Defence". Skytraders. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Army Constructiones Aeronauticas S A CASA 212 Aviocar". ADF-Serials. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2020.

References

  • Leoni, Ray D. (2007). Black Hawk, The Story of a World Class Helicopter. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 978-1-56347-918-2.
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