Black Hawk helicopters from the 16th Aviation Brigade have returned to Townsville for the second time in more than a decade, as part of Exercise Valkyrie Crawl.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion have conducted training exercises, with new Black Hawk Helicopters.
In March, soldiers worked closely with aircrew to build familiarity with the aircraft, focusing on safety procedures, aircraft drills and mission planning.
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.
Commanding Officer 1RAR Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Farrell says the exercise is 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.
“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.
“It gives them exposure to how the broader Army operates and familiarises them with different capabilities.”
Lieutenant Colonel Farrell has 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 says.
“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.
