ADF to Lease H135 Juno Training Helicopters from the UK

The Australian Government will lease training helicopters and procure additional numbers of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters as it seeks to rapidly enhance the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) battlefield aviation capability. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is the UH-60M OEM.

Five H135 Juno training helicopters will be procured on lease from the United Kingdom, to support essential training requirements for Army aircrew. The helicopters are expected to arrive later this year with operations expected to commence in Oakey, Queensland, by mid-year. The lease arrangement will be funded from within Defence’s existing budget and the helicopters will be operated for a period of five years.

The ADF is also working with the United States to expedite deliveries of three extra Black Hawk helicopters so that they can be delivered this year. As a result, the ADF will receive 12 UH-60Ms this year along with early delivery of a Black Hawk aircrew training simulator.

Twenty-eight remaining Black Hawks are slated for delivery between 2025 and 2029.

The Australian Government had announced its decision to acquire 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian Army in January, 2023.

The Black Hawks are being acquired to replace the ADF’s MRH-90s.