TWO of only eight brand new MRH90 military helicopters currently in Australia arrived at HMAS Albatross on Wednesday afternoon, marking a new era in military aviation.
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The aircraft will remain at Albatross for six weeks to undergo testing by a specialist flight trials unit to develop the envelope for its capability.
Twenty-eight of the aircraft have been delivered worldwide thus far, with 527 currently on order for 12 countries.
The Australian armed forces will eventually possess 46 of the machines in total, with six going to the Navy and the other 40 to the Army in what will be a combined pool designed to make it cheaper and easier to get the helicopters to the frontline.
The MRH 90 will replace the Navy’s ageing Sea King and the Army’s Blackhawk.
All Australian models will be identical in everything from configuration, right down to the special radar and heat absorbing paint.
The MRH90s will operate out of 808 squadron, which is expected to be fully operational in three to four years’ time. The Navy aims to have three flights at sea at all times.
Lieutenant Commander Brad Mackay, who is a test pilot working in the flight trials unit, said the MRH90 was far superior to its predecessors.
“This is the best aircraft I’ve flown.
“It’s like driving your own vehicle and then getting to drive a Formula One car.”
Lt Comm Mackay, who has been piloting for 14 years and flown more than 30 different aircraft, said the modern aircraft was easy to fly.
“It is the best handling aircraft. If I command it to fly somewhere, it will get there, no matter what the conditions are,” he said.
The fly-by-wire aircraft boasts several innovative systems Mackay believes establish its superiority.
“It’s got weather radar, forward-looking infra-red, electronic warfare and countermeasures.
“This is a next generation aircraft.”
MRH90 maintenance team member Will McConnell said the leap forward in terms of technology helped maintenance efficiency.
“The aircraft can tell you about faults, it helps maintenance out so much.”
In mid-October the aircraft will be taken to Storm Bay off the coast of Tasmania to meet with a ship, where its limits and operational capability will be tested to the fullest extent in a variety of weather conditions.
The aircraft, which can reach speeds of 350km/h and has a 15-20,000 foot ceiling was designed from scratch and will be used by Navy for utility support; carrying loads, supplies and personnel.
Lt Comm Mackay said the aircraft had a vast amount of potential and was well suited to search and rescue missions, due to, among other things, its night flying capabilities.
Army will use the MRH90s to gain mobility on the battlefield and will establish their own testing for the aircraft.
