AFP, SYDNEY : Australia said on Wednesday its military will buy 12 heavy-lift MRH-90 helicopters from Eurocopter for one billion dollars (US$700 million) after choosing the French design over the Black Hawk chopper from the United States, Canberra's preferred military supplier.
In a move designed to boost the federal government's national security credentials ahead of an October 9 election, Prime Minister John Howard said the new helicopters would significantly boost Australia's counter-terrorism capabilities.
“It has been estimated that this new squadron will increase the army's troop-lift capacity by more than one half,” Howard told reporters.
Howard said the helicopter acquisition would also free up an existing squadron of Black Hawk helicopters to support special forces defending Australia's east coast.
The contract was awarded to Eurocopter's Australian subsidiary Australian Aerospace, with the aircraft to be delivered between 2007 and 2008.
Australian Aerospace edged out US firm Sikorsky for the contract, even though the Australian Defence Force already has 36 Black Hawks and has preferred US contractors in recent years to ensure its military has “inter-operability” with US forces.
Canberra has signed up to Washington's controversial missile defence shield, is spending an estimated 16 billion dollars on the US Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and earlier this year ordered 59 second-hand US Abrams tanks.
Army chief, lieutenant general Peter Leahy, said the MRH-90's ability to operate from amphibious ships was a crucial factor in awarding the contract.
