The Australian Defence Department completed a two-month diagnostic review of the MRH-90 Multi Role Helicopter Program, addressing delays to the project. The review has recommended that at present the project should not be listed under the ‘Project of Concern’ list, but recommended the ministry to work with the contractor, Australian Aerospace, to improve the availability of the helicopters by addressing engineering and reliability issues. Progress on the project will be evaluated by a follow-on diagnostic review. The Australian MRH-90 project experienced a series of reliability issues, including engine failure, transmission oil cooler fan failures and the poor availability of spares.

To date, 13 MRH-90 helicopters have been accepted by Defence and are currently being used for testing and initial crew training. The project has suffered delays of 12 months for the Navy’s helicopters and 18 months for the Army’s helicopters.
