Australian Army Helicopter Sustains Damage During Multinational Exercise

An Australian Army helicopter was damaged during a multinational defense exercise in the Northern Territory, though all crew members escaped injury.

A defense spokesperson confirmed that the Tiger helicopter experienced a “hard landing” on Wednesday evening while taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre near Timber Creek, approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Katherine.

“The two aircrew onboard were unharmed and exited the helicopter safely,” the spokesperson stated.

Following the incident, the 1st Aviation Regiment temporarily paused all flying operations but assured that other rotary wing support activities for the exercise would proceed as planned.

Exercise Talisman Sabre involves 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations and stands as the largest joint training activity between the Australian Defence Force and the United States military. The biennial drills include live firing and combat simulations across land, sea, and air domains.

The Australian Defence Force has maintained a permanent grounding of its Taipan helicopter fleet since a fatal crash during a previous exercise two years ago, which resulted in the deaths of Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph “Phillip” Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs.