In 2019, the 47-strong Taipan fleet was grounded after a helicopter was forced to land due to a tail rotor vibration.

The fleet was also limited on certain missions due to problems with the auxiliary power unit that prevented the aircraft from shutting down its main engines.

In 2020, 27 helicopters were grounded after cabin sliding door rails were deemed unserviceable. Officials later revealed the doors were too narrow to allow its gun to fire while troops were descending from the aircraft.

In 2021, Defence revealed it hired civilian helicopters in Townsville to maintain capacity due to long-running issues with the MRH-90, at a cost of over $37 million.

The Australian National Audit Office has listed the Taipan as a “project of concern”. A 2014 report found the MRH-90 Program was “dealing with a range of challenges related to immaturity in the MRH-90 system design and the support system”.

The helicopters needed a range of design reworks to enable them to operate in high-threat environments, leading to costs ballooning to over four times the original $1 billion budgeted, the report found.

Australian Defence Force chief Angus Campbell said the crash was a terrible moment.

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“Our focus at the moment is finding our people and supporting their families and the rest of our team,” he said.

Marles said on Saturday morning his hopes were with the efforts of the search and rescue crews. “As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day, we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation’s uniform.”