Aircraft

A decision will be made by Australia at the end of this month whether it can meet the in-service date of 18 December for the NH Industries MRH90 multirole helicopter. The impending decision by the MRH90 airworthiness board comes as the first two helicopters were delivered last week from France under Australia's Air 9000 troop lift helicopter programme.

Australia has 46 MRH90s on order to replace the army's Sikorsky Black Hawk and navy Westland Sea King helicopters. The first four aircraft are being manufactured in France, with the remaining 42 to be assembled at Australian Aerospace's Brisbane facility. Following delayed certification of the German NH90 programme, the Australian project is on a tight schedule to meet the set in-service date, says the Department of Defence.

The first two helicopters, which arrived in Australia last week on an Antonov freighter, will be returned to flying condition and test flown by Australian Aerospace flight-test crew ahead of a handover to Australia. The first fuselage for the Australian assembly line arrived in Brisbane in March.

The navy has an initial operational capability (IOC) of one aircraft at sea planned for mid-2010, while the army's IOC calls for four aircraft in service by late 2011.