UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from 16th Aviation Brigade have returned to Townsville for the second time in more than a decade, conducting a training exercise with soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR).
The activity marked a milestone for the battalion, as it was their first time working alongside the new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
While the battalion has extensive experience working with CH-47F Chinook helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment, this exercise represents the beginning of a new training relationship with the Black Hawks.
Throughout the exercise in March, soldiers worked closely with aircrew to build familiarity with the aircraft.
The training focused on safety procedures, aircraft drills and mission planning in preparation for more complex exercises later in the year.
Commanding Officer 1RAR Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Farrell said the exercise was an important step in rebuilding the air assault capability that used to exist within the battalion.
“From a unit perspective this is really important for building competence and confidence with the aircraft,” Lieutenant Colonel Farrell said.
“It’s exciting to work with these aircraft as it provides myself, as the commander, and the soldiers a different experience.”
For many soldiers at the battalion, this was their first experience working with any aircraft.
“This training is extremely valuable for soldiers who have never worked with aircraft before,” Lieutenant Colonel Farrell stated.
“It gives them exposure to how the broader Army operates and familiarises them with different capabilities.”
Lieutenant Colonel Farrell also expressed the importance of integrating different aviation capabilities into the battalion’s training program.
“These exercises help junior soldiers and officers understand how aviation integrates with the ground force to achieve the mission,” he highlighted.
“Exposure to these aircraft assists junior leaders in understanding how the employment of aviation supports the execution of combined arms operations. This gives the unit the experience required to plan and execute air assault operations.
“Both the Chinooks and Black Hawks give us versatile options for inserting and extracting troops, each offering distinct advantages that influence how we conduct mission planning and execution.”
Training between 1RAR and the Black Hawks is set to continue throughout the year, with activities progressively increasing in complexity. Future training will expand to platoon‑level manoeuvre, conducted by day and night, and will incorporate a wider range of tactical scenarios.