This is a list of all aircraft operated by the Australian Army since its formation. The Army flies helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and also unmanned aerial vehicles of various types.
This is a list of all aircraft operated by the Australian Army since its formation. The Army flies helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and also unmanned aerial vehicles of various types.
| Aircraft | Origin | Role | Versions | Year introduced | No. in service [1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook |  United States | Transport helicopter | CH-47F | 10 | One CH-47D was destroyed during operations in Afghanistan on 30 May 2011. [2] Two additional CH-47Ds ordered in December 2011 as attrition replacement and to boost heavy lift capability. [3] The last of 7 new CH-47Fs was delivered in September 2015 and the D models subsequently retired. [4] | |
| Eurocopter Tiger |  Europe | Attack helicopter | Tiger ARH | 2004 | 22 | |
| Sikorski UH-60M Blackhawk | United States | Utility Helicopter | UH-60M Blackhawk | 2023 | 3 (40 ordered) | After reliability issues with the MRH90, in 2021 the ADF announced they would replace the MRH90 fleet with 40 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, announced the same year as the previous S-70A-9 Blackhawks were retired from service. The first 3 were delivered in 2023 after the grounding and subsequent retirement of the MRH90 fleet. The US announced an accelerated delivery timeline on the remaining 37 Blackhawks to help Australia replace the MRH90 fleet. [5] |
Several AW139 leased to the Army. [6]
| Aircraft | Origin | Role | Versions | Year introduced | No. in service [1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHIndustries NH90 | Europe | Utility helicopter | MRH90 – TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter | 2007 (retired 2023) | 39 (40 original. 1 destroyed in crash) | The MRH-90 Taipan fleet was prematurely retired in September 2023, after a fatal crash of an MRH90 in Northern Queensland Pacific Ocean killing 4 servicemembers. [7] [8] Previously in March 2023 an engine failure lead to an MRH90 ditching in the ocean off Jervis Bay. [9] [10] Currently being dismantled for parts (Circa 2024) |
| Aircraft | Origin | Role | Versions | Year introduced | No. In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AeroVironment Wasp AE | United States | SUAS – Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance | Wasp EA | 2018 | undisclosed | Wasp entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation. the Wasp AE entered service with the Australian Army in 2018. [11] |
| Black Hornet Nano |  Norway | MicroUAS Squad Level Reconnaissance and surveillance | PD-1000 Black Hornet | 2014 | undisclosed | The Black Hornet entered service in 2014 for test and evaluation. |
| AAI RQ-7 Shadow | United States | Tactical UAS Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance | RQ-7B Shadow 2000 UAV | 2012 | 18 | 18 aircraft. The Shadow 200 entered service in 2012 replacing the ScanEagle. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery |
| Aircraft type | Origin | Variant | Role | Years In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A50 AAI Aerosonde | Australia | Aerosonde Mk 2 | Surveillance | 2003 | Four aircraft. Deployed to the Solomon Islands during Operation Anode in 2003. Operated by the 131st surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery. |
| Boeing Insitu ScanEagle | United States | Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance | – 2012 | Obsolete, No longer operated by the Australian Army. Operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery | |
| Elbit Systems Skylark | Israel | Skylark I | Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance | Obsolete, no longer in service with the Australian Army. Replaced by the Wasp EA. | |
| Phantom (unmanned aerial vehicle series) | China | Phantom 4 | Reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance | 2017– | 350 aircraft |
| Aircraft type | Origin | Variant | Role | Service period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A11 Auster Mark III | United Kingdom | Mk III MK V AOP.6 | Two-seat air observation post aircraft | 1944–1959 | 58 aircraft. Operated by the RAAF in support of the Australian Army. |
| A98 Cessna 180 | United States | Model 180A Model 180D Model 180E | Two to four seat liaison, observation aircraft | 1959–1975 | 19 aircraft |
| A14 Pilatus PC-6B Turbo-Porter | Switzerland | PC-6B Turbo Porter | Eight-seat reconnaissance, light transport aircraft | 1968–1992 | 19 aircraft |
| Cessna L-19 Bird Dog | United States | O-1 Bird Dog | One or two-seat liaison, observation aircraft | 1967–1968 | Three aircraft on loan from the US Army. Operated by the 161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight (Australia) |
| Beechcraft Queen Air | United States | A65 Queen Air B70 Queen Air | 1971–19?? | Four aircraft. Operated by the Australian Army Survey corps | |
| A18 GAF Nomad | Australia | Nomad N22B Nomad N24A | Two-crew twin-engine utility transport, reconnaissance aircraft, capable of carrying 11 passengers | 1975–1995 | 22 aircraft |
| A32 Beechcraft Super King Air | United States | King Air B350 | Twin-engine utility transport aircraft | 1997-2009 [12] | 24 aircraft. Including leased civilian aircraft. 4 owned aircraft given to the RAAF in 2009. |
| Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante | Brazil | EMB 100P1 Bandeirante | 1995 only | Four aircraft were leased from Flight West Airlines. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia) | |
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | Canada | DHC-6-320 Twin Otter | 1996–2004 | Three aircraft were leased from Hawker Pacific 1996. Operated by the 173rd Aviation Squadron (Australia) | |
| CASA C-212 Aviocar | Spain | C-212-400 | 2007-current | Two aircraft leased from Skytraders since 2013 with two 212-200 formerly leased from Military Support Services. [13] [14] Operated by the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School. [13] |
Historic and also current for context
| Aircraft type | Origin | Variant | Role | Service period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A22 Aerospatiale AS.350B Squirrel | France | AS.350B Squirrel | Two-crew light utility, training helicopter | 1990–1998 | 18 helicopters. Operated by the Australian Defence Force Helicopter School |
| A1 Bell 47 Sioux | United States | Model 47G-2 Sioux Model 47G-2A Sioux Model 47G-3B1 Sioux | Three-seat light utility, training helicopter | 1960–1977 | 47 helicopters |
| A17 Bell / CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa | United States Australia | CAC CA-32, OH-58A Kiowa Model 206B-1 Kiowa | Light observation, reconnaissance helicopter | 1971–2018 | 64 helicopters. Including eight US built helicopters, which were leased to the Australian Army. |
| A2 Bell UH-1 Iroquois | United States | UH-1H Iroquois | Multi-role utility transport helicopter | 1990–2007 | 25 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army in 1990 |
| A17 Boeing CH-47 Chinook | United States | CH-47D Chinook CH-47F Chinook | Twin-rotor medium-lift transport helicopter | 1995-current | 18 helicopters |
| A25 Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk | United States | S-70A-9 Black Hawk | Four-crew multi-role battlefield support helicopter, capable of carrying 10 troops | 1990-2021 | 39 helicopters. Transferred from the RAAF to the Australian Army. |
| A38 Eurocopter Tiger | Europe | Tiger ARH | Armed reconnaissance, attack helicopter | 2004-current | 22 helicopters |
| A40 NHIndustries NH90 | Europe | TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter | Utility transport helicopter | 2007-2023 | 40 helicopters |
| Bell 412 | United States Canada | Bell 412 AB 412 | 2007-current | Two helicopters. Operated by the Army Aviation Training Centre |
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61.
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem-rotor helicopter originally developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and now manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Chinook, is from the Native American Chinook people of Oregon and Washington state.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It has three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The ADF has a strength of just over 89,000 personnel and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies.
The NHIndustries NH90 is a European medium-sized, twin-engine, multirole military helicopter. It was the first production helicopter to feature entirely fly-by-wire flight controls.
The Air Corps is the air force of the Republic of Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out a variety of duties in conjunction with the Irish Army, Irish Naval Service and Garda Síochána. The headquarters of the Air Corps is located at the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin. The Air Corps has an active establishment of 886 personnel. Like other components of the Defence Forces, it has struggled to maintain strength and as of April 2023 has only 711 active personnel. Unlike the Army or the Naval Service, the Air Corps does not maintain a reserve component.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and chief of the Air Force Staff.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force. However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British Royal Air Force in then-colonial British Malaya. The Royal Malaysian Air Force operates a mix of modern American, European and Russian-made aircraft.
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA), known formerly as the Australian Navy Aviation Group, is the division of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) responsible for the operation of aircraft. The FAA was founded in 1947 following the purchase of two aircraft carriers from the Royal Navy. FAA personnel fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and participated in later conflicts and operations from host warships.
The 5th Aviation Regiment is an Australian Army aviation unit. Formed in 1987 after the Army took over responsibility for operating helicopters from the Royal Australian Air Force, the regiment is based at RAAF Base Townsville, in Queensland. It currently forms part of the 16th (Aviation) Brigade and it operates the majority of the Army's transport helicopters. Throughout its existence, the regiment has been deployed overseas numerous times, supporting both peacekeeping and warlike operations. Since its formation elements of the regiment have made operational deployments to Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Iraq, Indonesia and Pakistan.
Oakey Army Aviation Centre is situated approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) from the town centre of Oakey in Queensland, Australia. It provides a training establishment for Australian Army Aviation, and also hosts the Republic of Singapore Air Force's "Cougar" 126 Squadron. The Defence name for the facility is Swartz Barracks, named for prominent politician, Army Aviation advocate, and ex-POW Sir Reginald Swartz.
The AgustaWestland AW139, now known as the Leonardo AW139, is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engined helicopter developed and produced by the Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, now part of Leonardo. It is marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, military use, offshore transport, firefighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol.
The Australian Army Aviation (AAAvn) is an administrative corps of the Australian Army. It was formed on 1 July 1968. The motto of the Australian Army Aviation corps is Vigilance.
The 173rd Special Operations Aviation Squadron is an Australian Army helicopter training squadron that provides support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is being equipped with UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The squadron is based at Luscombe Airfield, Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney and forms part of the 6th Aviation Regiment.
The 6th Aviation Regiment is one of the Australian Army's three Army Aviation regiments and was raised on 1 March 2008 to provide air mobility for the Australian Army Special Operations Command (SOCOMD).
HMAS Canberra (L02) is the first ship of the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and is the second largest in the Navy, succeeded by its sister ship HMAS Adelaide (L01). Construction of the ship started in Spain in 2008, with the hull launched by Navantia in 2011. The hull was then transported to Australia in late 2012 for completion by BAE Systems Australia. Canberra was commissioned on 28 November 2014.
The Australian Defence Force has operated Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for most of the period since 1974. Thirty four of the type have entered Australian service, comprising twelve CH-47C variants, eight CH-47Ds and fourteen CH-47Fs. The helicopters have been operated by both the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Australian Army.
The MRH-90 Taipan was a version of the NHI Industries NH90 multirole helicopter in service with Australian Army and Navy in the early 21st century and retired by 2023. Most of the aircraft were assembled in Australia. The fleet was scheduled for retirement in 2024, but this was brought forward a year; they had been withdrawn from the Navy in 2022. After the aircraft's withdrawal, they were offered for sale then disassembled for parts.
