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Australia prepared to consider Tiger deployment to Afghanistan
Australia is prepared to deploy its Eurocopter Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters to support its own forces in Afghanistan once the aircraft reach initial operational capability according to the chief of the Australian Defence Force, AVM Angus Houston.
However, Houston also says he does not anticipate a requirement will emerge, with the bolstering of attack and support helicopters in southern sectors of Afghanistan by the United States expected to meet all likely Australian requirements.
Houston says that Australia's main rotary wing contribution to operations in Afghanistan is expected to remain focussed on deployment of army's Boeing CH-47D Chinook aircraft.
"We are part of a coalition force" Houston says. "There are a large number of nations contributing to the coalition. We already have our Chinook capability-effectively the whole Chinook capability-deployed in Afghanistan. In terms of attack helicopters, what we have got coming into theatre at the moment is a huge brigade of aviation from the United States. That includes Chinooks, Black Hawks and Apache attack helicopters. An element of that, one battalion of that, will be based at Tarin Kowt alongside our forces.
"So, to a large extent, we are going to see a reinforcement in the helicopters that will be available to our forces. That is right across the board. I might add that there is also going to be effectively a doubling of the aero-medical evacuation capability in theatre. "
The Australian Army is still in the delivery phase of developing its Tiger fleet.
Houston says "we do not have an initial operational capability at this stage, but in the fullness of time, when we get through the achievement of the operational gates-the first one being initial operational capability-if the government were of a mind to deploy attack helicopters there would be no reason why we could not deploy attack helicopters.
"Having said that, I do not see that in prospect at this stage given the huge reinforcement of attack helicopters by the US into RC-South and also into Oruzgan province, with the aviation battalion being based at Tarin Kowt."
France is currently preparing to field Tiger helicopters to Afghanistan with Australia confirming earlier this year that it will be closely monitoring that deployment for operational lessons.
By Peter La Franchi, Canberra
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