Page 9 - AVALON 2023 - Day 1 | DAILY NEWS

based at Oakey. That amounts to 24
BOEING LOOKS aircraft.

AFTER FULL The CISS contract incorporates programme
management, engineering, technical sup-
BROOD OF port, maintenance, training support and,
when required, surge and deployment
AUSTRALIAN support.

CHINOOKS Some 38 Boeing Defence Australia person-
nel support this effort, via rolling five-year
contracts. The sustainment effort includes
The Australian Army completed its fleet of a Cargo Helicopter Management Unit, CISS
14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters when the Contract Support (around 80 ADF employ-
final two examples touched down aboard a ees) and 5 Aviation Regiment support
US Air Force C-5M Galaxy transport aircraft (around 60 ADF personnel).
on 23 June 2022.
Stephen King, Rotary-Winged Support
Australia had lodged an AUD595 million Specialist at Boeing Defence Australia, said
(USD444 million) order for four Chinooks, Australian Chinooks follow the US Army
as announced by the US Defense Security © Gordon Arthur configuration, except they do have minor
Cooperation Agency in late April 2021. The Australian modifications such as crashwor-
first pair had been delivered on 8 July 2021. excited to see more aircraft reach all edges thy seats, a rotor brake, working-at-heights
of the globe. We’re honoured to continue and fly-away kits (both to support at-sea
All 14 CH-47Fs are flown by C Squadron of supporting Australia’s heavy-lift aircraft deployments). Australia will continue to
the 5th Aviation Regiment, 16th Aviation needs now and in the future.’ align with the US configuration in the future.
Brigade, based at RAAF Base Townsville.
All Australian ‘Chooks’ are maintained by Australian companies have performed
Ken Eland, Boeing’s Vice President and Boeing Defence Australia via a Chinook small amounts of work on the Chinook
Program Manager of Cargo Helicopters, Integrated Support Services (CISS) con- fleet, including production of longerons,
stated: ‘The Chinook remains the premier tract. The company also tends to ten undercarriage doors, crashworthy bucket
heavy-lift helicopter in the world, and we are Singaporean CH-47Fs of a detachment seats and structural formers.

Australia will also provide maintenance
© Elbit Systems
services for the Skylarks out till 2030.

Paul McLachlan, then Managing Director
of Elbit Systems of Australia, commented:
‘Our Skylark I-LEX SUAS+ will reduce the
risk to both army and civilian personnel
when operating in hazardous environments
because of its superior intelligence, sur-
veillance and reconnaissance capabilities.’

The small UAVs were procured via the
SKYLARKS DART INTO 9th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery,
an Australian Army Reserve unit based in
Sydney.
AUSTRALIAN INVENTORY This purchase is understood to be a

delayed fulfilment of the Small UAS Plus
Elbit Systems announced on 7 December thus allowing the UAVs to safely fly in wider (SUAS+) programme known as Army Minor
2022 that its Skylark I-LEX small UAV had categories of airspace. This is something Project 024.35. The tender had closed on 4
been procured by the Australian Army. that would be important in a disaster relief June 2019, and a shortlisted fly-off activity
scenario, for instance. occurred later that year.
The Israeli company said these UAVs will
‘enable ADF support to civilian operations The Skylark I-LEX has a 40km line-of-sight At that time, the army stated that it needed
for disaster and humanitarian relief’. To this control range. Without naming customers, up to 17 SUAS+ systems with a life of type
end, the Skylarks are fitted with an elec- Elbit Systems claims ‘dozens’ of customers of six years. The tender document said
tro-optic sensor and automatic dependent have selected the Skylark family to date. the UAV would be issued to army battle-
surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) system. groups, special forces and Regional Force
Elbit was awarded the sale after a com- Surveillance Units. It appears that emer-
ADS-B provides real-time situational aware- petitive tender involving preview test and gency-response scenarios will now be an
ness to pilots and air traffic controllers, evaluation activities. Elbit Systems of important duty for the SUAS+ too.

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