MP takes aim at Macron over ’unsafe’ fleet
A TOWNSVILLE MP has blasted a potential bid by the French president to scrap the government’s plan to retire an “unsafe” helicopter fleet.
The Australian on Thursday reported that in an upcoming visit, President Emmanuel Macron would try to sway Prime Minister Anthony Albanese into keeping a contentious fleet of 47 MRH-90 Taipan Helicopters.
The former government in December 2021 announced plans to replace the fleet with US Black Hawks – with a $2.8bn purchase of 40 choppers currently on hold.
It has been reported that the partly French governmentowned Airbus said issues with the MRH-90S were the result of early acquisition failings and ineffective maintenance processes, which have now been “largely resolved”.
But Herbert MP Phillip Thompson said he believed
that was not the case.
“That is simply not true,” Mr Thompson said.
“The MRH-90S have been a point of concern for the Australian Defence Force for more than 10 years …
“They have technical issues constantly, they are a failure.”
He said he had seen “firsthand” MRH-90S lined up on the tarmac at Townsville, with only one able to get in the air, calling them “unsafe”.
“It doesn’t take off, which means it is rendered useless … it is not fit for purpose and cannot do its job … therefore it should be put to bed,” Mr Thompson said.
It is understood that concerns are held within the Albanese government that dumping the helicopters more than 10 years before their planned retirement would drain billions of dollars from the Defence budget and set back Australian and French relations.
Mr Thompson said the safety of Australian soldiers should be at the forefront of the government’s decision-making.
“The safety and security, and military capability should be the highest priority – not wanting to get in the good books with President Macron,” he said. “The lives of Australian soldiers matter more to me than what the French president thinks.”
Addressing concern over the employment of local engineers and maintenance staff working on MRH-90 choppers, he said his intent was for staff to be converted to work on the Black Hawks.