Black Hawk Down Under

Black Hawk Down Under – The Story of the S-70 in Australian Service

From its Cold War origins to its return in modern form, the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk has been a central pillar of Australia’s rotary-wing capability for nearly four decades. This documentary traces the full operational history of the Black Hawk in Australian service—across the Army, Navy, and Air Force—and its evolving role in national defence.

We begin in the 1980s, as both the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy sought to replace their ageing helicopter fleets. The RAAF selected the S-70A-9 Black Hawk to replace the Iroquois in the battlefield mobility role, while the RAN procured S-70B-2 Seahawks for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Australian-built under licence by Hawker de Havilland, the Black Hawk was soon transferred from the RAAF to Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment, becoming a frontline asset in operations across East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Cambodia, and beyond.

The documentary details key events in this service history, including:

• The 1989 transition of helicopter command from RAAF to Army
• The 1996 Black Hawk disaster during a counter-terrorism exercise
• Naval deployment of Seahawks from frigates using advanced ASW systems
• The replacement debates involving MRH-90 Taipan vs upgraded Black Hawk options
• The 2023 return of the Black Hawk via the UH-60M acquisition

With five Black Hawks lost in service and operational deployments across a broad theatre, the S-70 has proven both resilient and indispensable. Now, after the retirement of the original fleet and persistent MRH-90 performance issues, the Australian Army is once again embracing the Black Hawk—this time with 40 UH-60Ms forming the backbone of battlefield mobility into the 2030s.

Meanwhile, the Navy has transitioned from the S-70B-2 to the MH-60R 'Romeo' variant, maintaining its place at the forefront of maritime aviation with 23 aircraft in service and 13 more on order.

This is the full story of the Black Hawk and Seahawk in Australia—one of innovation, adaptation, and enduring tactical value.


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Original footage and recreated scenes (using DCS, War Thunder, etc) may not be 100% accurate to the event being described but has been used for dramatic effect. This is because there may not have been original footage of a particular event available, or copyright prevents us from showing it. Our aim is to be as historically true as we can be given the materials available.

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The Australian Military Aviation History Association is a not-for-profit association with the intent of recording, preserving and promoting Australian military aviation history.