PODCAST: Delivering Black Hawk in record time and setting the record straight on Army’s Aviation evolution

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol

In this edition of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Lieutenant Colonel Meng Wang of Aviation Command, who led the capability management team of the multi-billion-dollar project to transform the Army Aviation capability.

In this edition of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Lieutenant Colonel Meng Wang of Aviation Command, who led the capability management team of the multi-billion-dollar project to transform the Army Aviation capability.

The pair begin the discussion focusing on the Army’s need for a seamless and high-speed acquisition of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to replace the troubled fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters.

They also discuss:

  • The Army’s emphasis on building and operating a fleet of reliable, interoperable airlift helicopters that will enjoy continued support, maintenance, and upgrade pathways out to the middle of the century and potentially beyond.
  • Navigating the US defence bureaucracy and the foreign military sales ecosystem to provide a capability that delivers a value for money proposition and true capability outcomes for the Australian Defence Force.
  • LTCOL Wang’s career in the Army, beginning as an aviation engineer responsible for supporting the operation of the Army’s Chinook fleet, and the consolidation and commonality of Army’s aviation platforms around the country to deliver enhanced capability.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: CONTESTED GROUND: Australia’s sovereign capability reckoning – why the system is no longer fit for purpose
Episode 10: PODCAST: Defence export ambitions, drone technology and defence manufacturing hubs
Episode 9: PODCAST: Offshore manufacturing, defence procurement and industrial resilience, with Philippe Odouard and David McLaughlin
Episode 8: SPOTLIGHT: Cyber warfare, autonomy and the future of defence, with Palo Alto Networks’ Tom Scully and MAJGEN (Ret’d) John Davis
Episode 7: CONTESTED GROUND: Fortune favours the bold – building a national security strategy for the 21st century, with Marc Ablong
Episode 6: PODCAST: Developing Australia’s ability to take a hit and keep fighting, with the honourable Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability
Episode 5: PODCAST: AUKUS expansion, artillery manufacturing and Australia’s regional defence role
Episode 4: SPOTLIGHT: Building mass, capability and trust with autonomous and uncrewed systems, with Michael Mitchell, Elysium EPL director
Episode 3: PODCAST: Defence policy, domestic manufacturing and military culture, with Senator Malcolm Roberts
Episode 2: SPOTLIGHT: LAND 156, counter-drone warfare and electronic warfare capability, with Department 13’s Ben Westgarth