Sting in the tail: why Australia’s Taipan helicopter purchase was a debacle from the start

An MRH90 Taipan helicopter. Defence intends to cease Taipan flying operations by December 2024 – 13 years earlier than original expectations. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Finally, it’s official. Australia’s long-expected dumping of its European-backed Taipan helicopters in favour of US Black Hawks closes an inglorious chapter in the country’s defence acquisition history.

Over the past few years, there has been no shortage of negative headlines about the MRH90 Taipan, which has been used by both the army and the navy.