Australia flies EC-135T2 helicopter

The Australian Defence Force has flown for the first time a new EC-135 T2 twin-engine helicopter acquired as part of its Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) programme, the Royal Australian Navy announced on 23 September.

The first EC-135 T2 took off from the naval airfield HMAS Albatross with the first tranche of flying instructors from the navy, Australian Army and Boeing Defence Australia.

The EC-135 T2 helicopter will provide the live training environment as part of the HATS programme being delivered under Joint Project 9000 Phase 7 by Boeing Defence Australia and Thales Australia. 

The programme will provide a suite of simulator training devices as well as initial helicopter conversion training for aircrewmen, navy and army pilots, as well as sensor operators and navy aviation warfare officers. Training of the first students will begin in 2018.

Lt Cmdr Tony Hammond, HATS Pilot Instructor, said: ‘The array of systems imbedded in the new EC-135 T2 means that we are going to be able to much better prepare aircrew for the more complicated operational helicopters that they will then transition to.’