Then There Were Eight: Australian Army Welcomes New Blackhawk Helicopters

The Australian Army has welcomed the arrival of two more UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters to bolster its fleet.

The two new battlefield aircraft were delivered from America last month via a C-17A Globemaster, as per an Australian Army social media post on LinkedIn.

Captain Derek Wetherall of 535th Airlift Squadron, U.S.A.F., said of the handover: "It's an exciting day for all of us out here."

A total of 12 UH-60s are set to be delivered Down Under by the end of 2024 — the first contingent of an overall squadron of 40 such machines manufactured by Sikorsky, now a part of Lockheed Martin.

An accelerated delivery schedule was put in place after the Australian government opted to ground and replace its NHIndustries MRH90 Taipan fleet early.