Australia confirmed on Wednesday it would buy 40 Black Hawk military helicopters from the United States for an estimated A$2.8 billion ($1.96 billion), finalising a sale signed off by the U.S. State Department last August.
The Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) UH-60M Black Hawks will replace the Army’s fleet of MRH-90 Taipan choppers, which have been plagued for years by maintenance issues. Delivery of the new helicopters will begin this year.
“We’ve just not got the flying hours out of the Taipan that we would need,” Defence Minister Richard Marles told ABC news on Wednesday. “We’re confident that we can get that from the Black Hawks. It’s a platform we’re familiar with.”
Australia has been boosting its defense spending over the past few years as China looks to step up its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.