Russia sells 21 helicopters to U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Xinhau Net ^ | 2011-05-28 01:51:34 | Editor: Mu Xuequan

[Pan_Yan]

MOSCOW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian arms export corporation Rosoboronexport signed a contract with the U.S. Army Forces Command on supplying 21 Mi-17V5 multipurpose helicopters to Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation said on Friday.

The United States and Russia have been in talks for more than a year on the deal to provide the much-needed vehicles for the NATO mission in Afghanistan, RIA Novosti reported.

The cost of one helicopter has been agreed earlier at 17.5 million U.S. dollars. The first helicopters will be sent to Afghanistan in October 2011, said the spokesman.

Besides, Russia will also provide the spare parts, ground support equipment and maintenance service.

The Mi-17 is an export version of the Mi-8 Hip helicopter, which can transport up to 37 passengers.

In May 2010, the United States lifted sanctions against Rosoboronexport. The sanctions were imposed in 2006 after the U.S. government accused Rosoboronexport of violating the nuclear nonproliferation regime.

Despite the ban, dozens of Mi-17s have been bought by the United States for Afghanistan and Iraq over the past four years via intermediaries to avoid direct contacts with Rosoboronexport.

[lentulusgracchus]

we need legislation that all government equipment military and civilian, must be American made with a majority of parts made in USA.

I thought we had a treaty agreement with the other NATO countries, under which all NATO governments would do their military procurement within NATO. Or am I wrong?

Meanwhile ..... just be sure to remove all the extra microphones, fellers! LOL!

[lentulusgracchus]

I read an article about 15 years ago that said that US general-aviation manufacturing had been dried up by liability lawyers.

Now I think I read that production had resumed here and there -- but that a lot of U.S. mfrs had offshored their a/c production, again for liability reasons. Is this so? I think you would know better, so I'm asking.

Those damned airplane-manufacturing tortfeasors! </s>

[lentulusgracchus]

You need to keep ‘em sober too which can be tricky when they like drinking the fuel.

Maintenance crews servicing MiG-25's used to drain the brake fluid and drink it -- it was pure ethanol. It was a medium-sized readiness headache. So to speak.

[taildragger]

Yes a lot of newer stuff has gone off shore, Diamond is made in Canada, and a lot of the kits are done in the Czech Republic, Poland etc. Their are your survivors, but they prices are so brutal, no one can go out and buy a new Piper 4 seater like they did eons ago unless your a brain surgeon.