Airbus Helicopters MRH90 Taipan

History of Airbus Helicopters MRH90 Taipan

The Australian military has relied on the ubiquitous Bell UH-1 "Huey" family of helicopters for decades, and finally considered (and secured funding) a more modern offering - which became the MRH-90 "Taiwan" " (MRH = "Multi-Role Helicopter") Based on the NH90 series from NHIndustries. The NH90 serves a medium lifting role and can take on a variety of tasks in the military and civilian industries. Almost 250 were produced (2015) and used by the French, Italian and Finnish armies.

The helicopter is an original product of NHIndustries (NHI), the helicopter division of Eurocopter, now part of the Airbus Helicopters brand.

For the Australian Army, the Taipan plays an important role and will serve in both the Army and the Navy. An early series order in 2005 called for 12 helicopters to replace the UH-1 model, and a follow-up order in 2006 included a total of 34 systems to replace the discontinued Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Westland Sea King helicopters. The Australian military plans to procure a total of no more than 47 MRH-90s, four of which will be produced in Europe and the rest in Australia by Airbus Helicopters subsidiary Brisbane Aerospace. Forty units are designated for the Army and six will be used by the Navy.

While the original order was for a total of 46 aircraft, the renegotiated 2013 Australian Government contract brought in an additional airframe to be reserved for training services.

The MRH-90 went through a bumpy ride and was forced to make revisions while it was being evaluated. Since 2010, the helicopter has repeatedly appeared on the "Shame List" of the Australian government due to many problems and late commissioning. While the initial deliveries took place in 2007, no clear examples will be available until 2016 or 2017more than a decade after the initial order.

For cost reasons, the military will be forced to use its Black Hawk fighter jets until 2018. The Army finally had initial operational capability (IOC) in 2014, and the Navy followed a year later.

The MRH-90 experienced object ingestion issues in its turboshaft engine (Rolls Royce), despite the presence of a protective screen (the protective screen was not suitable for debris present in the Australian landscape). In addition, windshields cracked frequently, so special films were used to increase strength and a new installation method was devised.

In 2010, an Adelaide MRH-90 experienced a single engine failure during the review process, which resulted in the fleet being grounded (blame shaft deflection). A stronger cabin floor was subsequently ordered when the original lightweight structure was clearly stressed by the fully loaded Australian infantry.

Aside from other planned add-ons (droppers, door cannons, etc.), it appears that the darkest days of the MRH-90 program are over.

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