Last July, a tragic accident involving a Taipan resulted in the deaths of four defence personnel.

Investigations into the crash continue, but in September the government announced it would speed up plans to decommission the fleet.

Late last year, Ukraine asked for the unwanted choppers which Australia is planning to bury under the ground for safety reasons.

But Australia told Ukraine its fleet of MRH-90s had already been stripped for parts and would be too complicated to reassemble.

But on Tuesday, a photo emerged showing many of the choppers in a Townsville hanger, appearing intact.

The ADF countered, saying the parts that had been removed were radios, computers, and self-protection systems.

This week, the Australian Army Aviation Association hit back at the idea of the Taipans being sent to Ukraine, saying “Australia would be gifting a poisoned chalice”.

So what’s going to happen to the helicopters? They’re scheduled to be buried, literally placed under the ground.

So will a last-ditch bid from Ukraine net them the choppers, or will they all end up in an actual ditch?

Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations co-chair Stefan Romaniw told The Project that Ukraine wouldn't ask for equipment they couldn’t maintain.

“The Ukrainian government said it was prepared to maintain those Taipans,” Romaniw said, adding they were also willing to take on the responsibility of transporting them to Ukraine.

Romaniw insisted that the Taipans would provide invaluable assistance.

“Can those Taipans save lives on the front? Ultimately if they can do that, then the government should reconsider.”