Russia to deliver 21 transport helicopters to Afghanistan

Russia will supply Afghanistan with 21 Mi-17 Hip military transport helicopters, an Afghan television channel reported on Monday.

According to Tolo television, the contract is worth $300 million and was concluded with the approval of the ? command in Afghanistan.

Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti on Monday that NATO had yet to agree on the exact delivery date of some time in July, although the alliance has voiced the need for Russian transport helicopters a long time ago.

Unfortunately, due to the constant over-specification written into EVERY U.S. military equipment contract, the Russians now make a helicopter that can do the job well in Afghanistan, costs less, and is less complicated and costly to maintain and for which U.S. manufacturers have no equal in “bang for the buck” terms.

Since, we are helping the most to supply the Afghans with new military equipment, in the case of these helicopters, we can either supply them with fewer U.S. made helicopters at much greater expense or more of the Russian models for less expense.

Blame the U.S. Congress and our own military equipment industries. Together they often hurt us as much as help us, in terms of the cost of our military preparedness. They provide some of the best military technology in the world as well as some of the most over-engineered, over-priced equipment.

“And the record for Russian troops and equipment in Afghanistan is............What?”

In what era, the era of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan?

If so, that's not relevant.

What IS relevant is what our own military leaders think of the Russian helicopters, which is not just their idle speculation. THEY ARE confident it can do the job in Afghanistan, does have the abilities, and demonstrated experience in the abilities needed while it is cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain, less complicated and easier to train for. THEIR view.

Their only complaint is that our manufacturers have no models that can compete, on bang for the buck terms, and are years away from producing one.

Our equipment might be “better” with its over-engineering for every contingency and theater of operations we want to place it in.

There is no military necessity that an “Afghan” helicopter needs, at any time, 100% of what is spec’d into many of the helicopter models now made for and supplied to our forces around the world. In fact, the most major requirement, flying abilities in the air conditions and altitudes in the mountainous Afghan terrain, is not the strongest point on any of the major U.S. models and is a strong point on the particular Russian model. (a set of things I learned from my engineer nephew who works for the Sikorsky helicopter division of United Technologies - they could make a helicopter to match the Russian one in question, if they had been asked to and if it was as equally spec'd for just the Afghan theater).

>> And the record for Russian troops and equipment in
>> Afghanistan is............What?

They were winning until we started supplying the mujahedeen with Stingers :)

When they left they still had a kill ratio overwhelmingly in their favor.

“I am ashamed and embarassed that this is what has become of my country.”

Add to the cases you sighted the additional fact that Obama is cutting up future planned NASA missions and “collectively” his policies amount to a deliberate, treasonous, internal attack on the U.S. space technology future.

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