Australian Minister for Defence Materiel and Science Greg Combet recently said a squadron of Army helicopters will soon be dispatched to towns across the nation.
Combet said a squadron of 11 Iroquois helicopters, better known in the United States as Hueys, would be made local tourist attractions in Townsville and eight other communities 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,” he said.
“Iroquois helicopters have played a big part in Australia’s military history and Townsville has played a part in their history, too, Combet said. “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.”
One Iroquois helicopter will be kept for permanent display outside Townsville’s RAAF Base, and another five Iroquois helicopters will be kept by the Australian Defence Force as training aids and another two will be offered for sale to national returned service organizations.