Article Posted on : - Jul 06, 2010

Australian Army UH-1H Iroquois helicopters

SYDNEY (BNS): After serving the nation for several years, an army squadron of 11 Iroquois helicopters will become tourist attractions at military bases around Australia.

"Townsville and the other locations selected have had an association with the Iroquois helicopter for a very long time. It's only fitting then that these helicopters come to rest among these communities," Minister for Defence Materiel and Science Greg Combet said.

"One Iroquois helicopter will be kept for permanent display outside Townsville's RAAF Base, where we expect it to attract military enthusiasts and other visitors."

The helicopters will also be seen at Bandiana and Point Cook in Victoria; Darwin in the Northern Territory; Holsworthy in New South Wales; Oakey and Enoggera in Queensland, along with the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the Department of Defence said on its website.

Another five Iroquois helicopters will be kept by the Australian Defence Force for training and another two will be offered for sale to national returned service organisations.

The UH-1H or ‘Huey’ first flew with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Malaysia. However, it got its iconic status when it was deployed during the Vietnam War.

Iroquois helicopters served Australia during the Vietnam War, on deployments to Bougainville and the Solomon Islands, and provided assistance to people who were affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in Indonesia, providing urgently needed aid to many isolated areas.