Russia to deliver 21 transport helicopters to Afghanistan

[skybolt]

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 с 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.
The Mi-17 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship.
The Afghan Air Force currently has 25 Mi-17 helicopters, which are widely used for troop and cargo transport, rescue and evacuation missions in the fight against Taliban militants.
Afghanistan plans to increase the number of Mi-17 helicopters to 56 by 2012. The majority of Afghan helicopters pilots were trained in the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Andrei Avetisyan told reporters on Monday that Moscow was ready to supply Russian-made weaponry to the war-ravaged Central Asian state.
"We have repeatedly stated our readiness to deliver military equipment to Afghanistan," the diplomat said.
In December 2002, Russia's Defense Ministry signed a contract with Afghanistan to provide military-technical assistance to Kabul with deliveries of motor vehicles, fuel and lubricants, communication equipment, topographic maps, truck-mounted repair workshops and automobile and armor equipment spare parts.
However, deliveries of Russian weaponry to Afghanistan were suspended in 2005 allegedly in order to avoid "the duplication" of U.S. aid to the country, which that year totaled over $929 million, more than 80% of which was earmarked for the military and police.
Avetisyan said the Western supplies of copycat versions of Russian weaponry to Afghanistan negatively affected the combat capabilities of the Afghan armed forces.
"We are mainly talking about the Kalashnikov assault rifles, which are manufactured under expired licenses in several East European countries," the ambassador said.
KABUL, July 12 (RIA Novosti)

 

[banned]

well americans can supply them with american made weaponary but wait that will kill the fun. Many new pilots have not seen an F16 vs Mig engagement and are itching for one.

 

[skybolt]

Afghan Air Force Mi-17 Helicopter Fleet Grows

The Afghan Air Force received two new Mi-17 helicopters on July 8, 2010. These two aircraft are part of a purchase of ten new helicopters to be fulfilled by November 2010.

The contract to purchase these ten aircraft is worth $155 million. The current AAF fleet includes 25 Mi-17 helicopters. This is the continuation of a buildup of the fleet to 56 helicopters by 2012.

The Mi-17 is perfectly suited to the needs of Afghanistan. Its original design was one optimized for Afghanistan's high, rugged terrain and blistering summer temperatures. Second, Afghans have been flying and training in these aircraft for the last 30 years. They are already familiar with maintenance requirements of the aircraft, and using them allowed an air force with considerable battlefield mobility to rise from the ashes of Afghanistan's war-torn past with almost immediate impact. Finally, the price is very reasonable when compared against Western aircraft of similar high-altitude lifting and payload capability.

"The Mi-17 is vitally important to Afghanistan today to support the counter-insurgency effort, and will continue to be important for the future of Afghanistan," said Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera, the Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing. “The Mi-17s have been used to rescue flood victims down to the south and out to the west. It's been used to rescue Afghan citizens off of the mountain peaks--trapped by an avalanche in the Salang pass--and helped recover remains from the Pamir Airways airliner crash in landing zones up at 13,000 feet. And it’s been used to support past national elections getting the ballots to some locations unreachable by other means, except maybe by donkey. The AAF is planning now to do the same for the September elections.”

The service ceiling of the Mi-17 is over 16,000 feet and can transport 24 passengers or 8,800 lbs. of cargo. The Mi-17 comes with a price tag of approximately $15 million, which is one-half to one-third as expensive as Western aircraft with similar capabilities.

“In time, a transition to a Western medium-lift helicopter may be the right thing to do. But for now, the growth and development of the Afghan Air Force, as well as its ability to support today’s fight depends on us staying the course with the Mi-17,” said Boera. “I would not want to have to send more Afghans outside of the country, and keep more U.S. forces in Afghanistan longer to effect a challenging transition to a medium-lift Western helicopter prematurely,” he added.

The Mi-17 fleet provides the AAF with a wide variety of mission capabilities to include Presidential and distinguished visitor transportation, medical and casualty evacuation (MEDEVAC/CASEVAC), battlefield mobility, basic cargo airlift, reconnaissance, rotary-wing training, and close air support (CAS). Most recently, after completing critical training for its aircrew, the Afghans have added an air assault and sling load capability.

Afghanistan’s Mi-17s will be interoperable with allied and current coalition service systems. There are 77 other nations world-wide that currently employ the Mi-17, including coalition partners Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan Air Force with help from the Combined Air Power Transition Force, receive two new Mi-17 helicopters on July 8, 2010. The helicopters were delivered by an An-124 strategic airlift jet airplane named by NATO as a "Condor".(US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Quillen/ RELEASED).

 

[Tshering22]

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 с 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.
The Mi-17 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship.
The Afghan Air Force currently has 25 Mi-17 helicopters, which are widely used for troop and cargo transport, rescue and evacuation missions in the fight against Taliban militants.
Afghanistan plans to increase the number of Mi-17 helicopters to 56 by 2012. The majority of Afghan helicopters pilots were trained in the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Andrei Avetisyan told reporters on Monday that Moscow was ready to supply Russian-made weaponry to the war-ravaged Central Asian state.
"We have repeatedly stated our readiness to deliver military equipment to Afghanistan," the diplomat said.
In December 2002, Russia's Defense Ministry signed a contract with Afghanistan to provide military-technical assistance to Kabul with deliveries of motor vehicles, fuel and lubricants, communication equipment, topographic maps, truck-mounted repair workshops and automobile and armor equipment spare parts.
However, deliveries of Russian weaponry to Afghanistan were suspended in 2005 allegedly in order to avoid "the duplication" of U.S. aid to the country, which that year totaled over $929 million, more than 80% of which was earmarked for the military and police.
Avetisyan said the Western supplies of copycat versions of Russian weaponry to Afghanistan negatively affected the combat capabilities of the Afghan armed forces.
"We are mainly talking about the Kalashnikov assault rifles, which are manufactured under expired licenses in several East European countries," the ambassador said.
KABUL, July 12 (RIA Novosti)

Looks like Russians have got a good time to increase their influence gradually on Afghanistan by supplying them hardware. And since there's no Cold war\s Communism fears, supplies would be encouraged.

US stuff is way too expensive for Afghans compared to Russian hardware. They're cheaper and more rugged and fit Afghanistan's requirements.