RAN details aviation trials for 2017
The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials unit is scheduled to conduct seven first of class flight trials before September 2017, the RAN announced on 16 January.
The unit has already started preparing for first of class trials for both the MRH-90 Taipan and the MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopters.
The unit will embark HMAS Melbourne in January for Romeo trials with the Adelaide class of guided missile frigates, followed by Canberra Landing Helicopter Dock trials in February along with the Tiger and MRH-90.
The MRH-90 will then conduct first of class flight trials with the Anzac class in August with UAS, followed by first of class flight trials on the EC-135 T2+ in September.
David Hutchinson, officer in-charge of navy's unit, said: ‘[The] navy hasn’t got any experience with vertical take-off and landing, so the UAS trials in August will be valuable. We aren’t walking into it thinking it will be a box ticking exercise. We’ve also never taken a Tiger helicopter to sea before.
‘For the Romeos we’re expanding on the ship helicopter operating limits they have at the moment and we’re looking to provide a lily pad capability for the MRH-90 on the Anzac class.’
The Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit is located at Naval Air Station, Nowra. The unit is capable of all levels of experimental flight test, with flight test pilots, engineers and systems specialists ensuring that the RAN’s aircraft are safe to operate at sea and from ships.
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