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Two Australian MRH-90s to be manufactured in Germany
Two of Australia’s 46 aircraft Eurocopter-Australian Aerospace MRH-90 helicopters will be built in Germany as part of plans to recover schedule delays on the A$4.199 billion Air 9000 phase 2/4/6 acquisition program.
Australia’s Defence Materiel organisation says project prime contractor Australian Aerospace put forward the proposal to use German facilities after mobilisation of an aircraft assembly line in Brisbane took longer than required.
Australia’s latest Defence annual report, released late last month, says that “two aircraft will be assembled in Germany and delivered to Australia under an initiative by Australian Aerospace to recover scheduled delays in the Australian assembly line.
“The remaining 40 MRH-90 will be assembled at the Australian Aerospace Brisbane facility.”
The first aircraft assembled on the Brisbane line was accepted by the DMO on 17 December last year.
According to the annual report “as at 31 August 2009, seven aircraft have been accepted and are now in service with the Army 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville”
It says that “the project is on schedule to achieve the in-service date with the Navy IOC of one aircraft at sea planned for mid-2010. The MRH-90 flying rate of effort has been less than planned, leading to some delay in training MRH-90 aircrew. As a consequence, the Army initial operational capability of a troop of four aircraft is now expected to be achieved in late 2011, six months later than originally scheduled.”
Logistics and in service support arrangements for the new aircraft are being progressively expanded the report says: “Significant effort by industry, Defence and the DMO project office to mature the MRH-90 logistics and support systems should result in the flying rate of effort improving throughout 2009-10 to meet project objectives.”
Australia expects to take delivery of nine MRH-90 during the current financial year which ends 30 June 2010
By Peter La Franchi
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