Happy New Year!
While Australia was enjoying a peaceful Christmas, Ukraine was not – so why is our Army in the process of destroying 45 perfectly good Taipan helicopters rather than donating them? Ukraine made the request in mid-December and it looks like the government is pretending it hasn’t happened. It seems extraordinary that highly capable military helicopters worth $900 million – that the ADF has declared it no longer wants – are being disassembled as a prelude to being buried in landfill.
Who is running Australia – the elected Government or the Defence Department? This is a scandal in the making with a lot of detail to come exposing a significant coverup – but the truth will be revealed. What a shame that most people are on holiday – which is what Defence is counting on.
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With the end of US aid to Ukraine fast approaching, you’re wondering what the nation responsible for usurping Australia’s contract for 12 French subs (with a non-binding thought bubble about used Virginia SSNs), thinks about how Australia’s criminal disposal of its French helicopter fleet (to purchase Black Hawks & Apaches) affects Ukraine ?
Welcome back Kim , It was another excellent Podcast and look forward to the next. The decision to dispose of the Taipan Fleet was (in my opinion) a huge mistake, the method that’s been chosen to do it is Criminal. It is obvious that Someone in a very high position has something to hide and is (literally) trying to bury the evidence. If the Taipans were donated to the Ukraine or one of Australia’s Pacific Island friends or even used as a back up for Disaster Relief (I bet the people currently swamped with Flood waters would love them)and they perform well it would be a huge embarrassment to Defence And Government. It’s time that the Department of Defence was held accountable for its absurd actions. Oh and expecting our PM to show Leadership is akin to expecting openness from the DoD.
Agree with all of that. On disaster relief, I’m amazed that neither the government nor the bureaucracy are capable of connecting the dots, namely that the DSR recommended Defence no longer be used for disaster relief / emergency operations. Fine; I don’t disagree – but what is going to replace it? Having the Taipan fleet – all or some of it – as an emergency reserve since the Army doesn’t want them makes perfect sense. Yes, there would be a cost involved – but there’s a cost to everything, including breaking them down and selling them. If flight safety was a genuine concern of Defence, they would not be replacing Taipans with Blackhawks.
Could ALL those who denounce using taxpayer funded ADF resources to support said taxpayers during national disasters, point to civilian infrastructure that would’ve been equal to or more capable than HMAS Melbourne & the RAAF in the rescue – evacuation of 36,000 survivors & the rebuilding of Darwin, following cyclone Tracy’s devastation in 1974 ? or the role of Army Chinook helicopters & RAN landing craft from HMAS Choules & Adelaide in the rescue of thousands from the water’s edge of South Coast NSW, denied evacuation via roads, cut off by the infernos of 2019 ? What part of war and natural disasters have both devastated Australia’s population & infrastructure, but only the ADF is equipped to deal with the consequences of both, doesn’t the condescending anti civilian chorus within defence circles understand ? Begs the question who ADF members & defence advisors – commentators believe the ADF exists to serve…