ONLY THREE of 27 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) 5th Aviation Regiment at Townsville, Queensland, are available for operational flying because of a shortage of spares.
The ADF says that the rate at which some parts (principally transmission mounts and the cuffs securing the rotor blades to the main rotor hub) are used has been higher than expected.
The shortage has curtailed some training exercises, particularly those flights with long-range tanks, which are putting the stresses on the aircraft.
The ADF says: "By the middle of the year it will be solved, but we would stress that we have no difficulty in providing aircraft for short-term crises. We can use aircraft from other units and have sufficient on line to handle that."
Source: Flight International
