All you posters moaning about the “US military buying Russian helicopters” should get a grip. The US is buying these helos FOR THE AFGHAN MILITARY. Why Russian? Because almost everything else in the Afghan aircraft inventory is Russian; the Afghans have long experience operating Russian equipment; the supply source for parts and tech support (Russia) is next door; and the MI-17 flies well at high altitudes. It’s a no-brainer.
Geez...
I was pointing out the US makes two sizes of transport helicopter: Too Small and Too Large
“The US is buying these helos FOR THE AFGHAN MILITARY”
Yeah, my thought as well. We’ll sell them to the Afghans when we walk. In the mean time, I can see them sporting a Paki paint job for our special-ops boys.