Activists will convene on Sunday at Sydney Town Hall to hold a demonstration urging Australia to donate surplus helicopters to Ukraine. The Australian Defence Force intends to retire 45 Taipan helicopters by the end of this year and acquire U.S.-manufactured Blackhawks as replacements.

All MRH-90 Taipan helicopters in Australia were forced to stop flying after a crash occurred during a joint military training exercise near the coast of Queensland in July.

Authorities have announced that the airplane will remain grounded until its scheduled retirement in December of this year. The Taipans will be substituted with Blackhawk helicopters from the United States. The Australian military will also add Apache helicopters to their fleet starting next year.

The country of Ukraine has inquired with Australia about the possibility of utilizing European-made Taipan helicopters in their conflict with Russia. Unfortunately, Australian authorities have responded by stating that the helicopters will be decommissioned and interred at a defense facility due to worries about the safety and dependability of the aging Taipan fleet.

On Sunday, activists will convene in Sydney to persuade the government to reconsider their stance.

According to VOA, Stefan Romaniw, one of the leaders of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, stated that the plane would assist in Ukraine’s efforts to push back against the Russian invasion.

He stated that the best way to aid Ukraine at this time would be to supply them with Taipan helicopters. These helicopters are crucial for their air warfare efforts and play a significant role in their potential victory. Therefore, the plea is to urgently support Ukraine by providing them with Taipan helicopters as soon as possible.

Australia has committed to offering military aid to Ukraine for the years 2024 and beyond.

The country’s Acting Defense Minister, Matt Thistlethwaite, expressed that Australia strongly backs the Ukrainian people and their military in their fight against Russia’s unjust and unexpected aggression and invasion.

Australia is a major non-NATO participant in the war efforts of Ukraine.

The government of Canberra has implemented broad restrictions on Russian officials, military leaders, and entrepreneurs.